


Tied Up Like Two Ships

by mycroftpoppins



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bartender Louis Tomlinson, Famous Harry, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mutual Pining, Non-Famous Louis Tomlinson, Pining, Red String of Fate, Singer Harry Styles, Smut, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:01:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 58,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27286843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mycroftpoppins/pseuds/mycroftpoppins
Summary: Louis has spent most of his life running away from the idea of soulmates. Lucky for him, his string has yet to connect him to the supposed love of his life. Harry's not his soulmate, but fate keeps throwing him in Louis' path anyway.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Perrie Edwards/Niall Horan
Comments: 28
Kudos: 193





	Tied Up Like Two Ships

The first time Louis sees it, he's six. They're on a family trip to London and he's reaching to take his mother's hand when a flash of red catches his eye.

He frowns and rubs at his pinky, trying to dislodge the little red string wrapped tightly around it. He can't seem to grasp onto it and that only makes him more frustrated.

He groans and his mother looks down at him.

"What's wrong?" she asks gently.

"I can't get it off!" Louis says, holding his hand up so she can see it.

"Can't get what off?" Jay asks, brow furrowed.

"The string!" Louis whines. How can she not see it?

Jay's eyes widen. "Where does the string go, darling?" she asks, seeming almost excited.

"What?" Louis scrunches his nose.

"Can you follow it?" she prompts.

Louis looks at his hand, then back at his mum.

"No. It's too little."

Jay looks sad then. "Okay," she says. "It's okay. Maybe next time."

Louis has no idea what she means and doesn't have time to ask. The light changes and his mum quickly takes his hand to lead him across the street.

He forgets about the string as the day goes by and it slowly fades away.

\-----

Louis's twelve the next time he sees it. He's been given the soulmate talk now: two people connected by a red string and blah blah blah. None of it matters because his parents were soulmates and they split when he was a baby.

It's summer hols and Louis is playing footie with some friends in a field near their houses.

He's bored in goal and he's swinging his arms back and forth when he catches a glimpse of red out of the corner of his eye.

He freezes, left arm awkwardly hanging in midair as he turns to look at the tiny bit of string shining on his pinky.

No. Fuck no.

He shakes his hand, trying to make it go away, but it clings on stubbornly.

He doesn't want a soulmate. Not now, not ever. It's stupid.

"WHAT THE FUCK, TOMMO?" his friend shouts and Louis startles, shoving his hand behind his back to hide the string, even though it's invisible to anyone but the people it's attached to.

"What?" he asks dumbly.

"You just let the ball go in! What the fuck? We was winning til you just let it roll right in."

Louis blinks back at the goal and sure enough, the football is sitting behind him, mocking him. Louis glares at it before scurrying to retrieve it.

He does his best not to think about the string.

It takes three days to disappear.

\-----

He sees it again when he's eighteen. He's auditioned for X Factor and made it to boot camp and he scarcely dares believe this could be his life.

He's lazing about on the lawn when he feels a slight tug at his finger. He glances down, frowning at the glimmer of red.

The string is brighter than he remembers it being and a bit longer too, though he still can't seem to follow it.

He scans the area but no one else seems particularly interested in their hands at the moment so he doesn't suppose his soulmate is nearby.

Regardless, his mood is killed and he sighs, standing up to head back inside.

He nearly runs into a boy in the doorway who's trying to exit as he enters. The other lad startles a bit and steps backwards, nearly falling over. He catches himself on the doorframe, a deep blush coloring his cheeks.

"Sorry," the boy mumbles.

Louis barely registers the apology, struck a bit dumb by just how beautiful he is. He's got a mess of dark, curly hair, wide green eyes, and the most kissable lips Louis has ever seen.

The boy's head tilts, brow furrowing. "Do I have something on my face?"

Louis snaps out of his daze then, trying to ignore the way his heart pounds at the sound of his slow, smooth voice.

He feels his own cheeks heating up and suddenly hates himself for not only being obvious, but for bothering to lust after someone who is clearly not his soulmate.

He glowers then and the other boy seems startled at the change in his demeanor, eyes widening.

"Why are you still standing there?" Louis snaps.

The boy blushes again and quickly steps to the side. Louis stomps past him, angry at himself and the entire concept of soulmates.

Louis is sent home just after bootcamp. The boy - Harry Styles, he learns, when his name is called - makes it through to the next round and Louis hates him.

\-----

Louis doesn't see it again until he's 23. He'd almost lured himself into a false sense of security, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'd somehow missed his soulmate and he'd never have to deal with this shit again.

He wakes one morning to a slightly hysterical call from Perrie.

"Louis!" she screeches in his ear.

Louis winces, pulling the phone away. "Take it down a couple notches, will ya?" he says.

"Sorry!" Perrie says, voice returned to a normal decibel. "I've just got the best news, is all."

"And what news might that be?"

"I've just won tickets to meet Harry Styles! Tonight!"

Louis holds back a groan at the name. "Congratulations," he mumbles.

"Are you free?"

Louis has a moment's pause. "What?"

"Are. You. Free?" Perrie repeats.

"Yeah I got that bit but you're not making any sense."

"Don't be a tosser. Will you go with me or not?"

"What about Niall?"

Perrie groans. "He's working tonight."

"And there's no one else in the entire universe you could possibly go with?" Louis scrubs a hand over his face.

"Noooo," Perrie whines. "Come on, Louis. You're the only person besides Niall who can help me stay calm and not make a total fool of myself in front of Harry!"

Louis sighs. "Fine. But you owe me."

Perrie screeches and Louis has to hold the phone away from his ear again.

They meet at the venue. There's already a line outside for people holding General Admission tickets.

Perrie is practically vibrating with excitement when she throws her arms around him for a hug.

"Thank you thank you thank you," she says. "This means the world to me."

Louis sighs. "Yeah. No problem."

He's pulling his arms back when he catches a glimpse of red out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh fuck me," he mutters, staring at his hand.

Perrie's brow furrows. "What?" Her gaze follows his and her eyes widen. "Oh my god! Do you see it?!" she squeals.

"Shhh!" Louis hisses, dropping his hand quickly as his eyes scan the crowd. Luckily they all seem to be too wrapped up in their own excitement to pay him any attention.

He finally brings his gaze back to Perrie. "It's short so it doesn't matter. Can't follow it."

Perrie pouts. "Damn. I wanted to see you meet them."

"My soulmate is not a Harry Styles fan." Louis frowns, glancing over the crowd again. "And soulmates are overrated anyway."

Perrie snorts. "You know, Louis, for such a sweet person, you can be a real tosser sometimes."

"Excuse me for not wanting to be forced to love someone over a piece of fucking string," Louis grumbles.

Perrie laughs. "You don't even know who your soulmate is. How do you know you won't love them despite the string?"

"I just know, okay?" Louis snaps.

"Alright. Alright," Perrie says, holding her hands up in surrender. A smirk forms on her lips. "But for the record, I can't wait to talk about Harry Styles with your future soulmate."

Louis flicks her off but it only makes her laugh.

By the time doors open, Perrie's gone quiet, chewing nervously on her lip and bouncing on her toes.

When they finally make it inside, they find the location to meet their point of contact. It's not long before a girl with lavender hair comes out to get them, smiling warmly.

"Are you Perrie?" she asks.

"I am!" Perrie says brightly.

"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Gemma," the girl says, holding out her hand.

Perrie grins, shaking it. "Lovely to meet you. I follow you on Instagram. Love your posts."

Gemma laughs softly. "Thank you." She turns to Louis then, her eyes widening briefly before her expression goes carefully blank. "Gemma," she says as she holds out her hand.

"Louis," he says, brow furrowed as he shakes it.

"Right," she clears her throat, letting go of his hand. "Well… come along."

She turns and heads off, leaving Perrie and Louis no choice but to follow.

They head through the doors and into the venue, along the side and up through a door that takes them backstage. It's cluttered with various odds and ends but Louis doesn't really have much time to look around as they're led through another door to a narrow staircase.

The door at the top opens to a long, thin hallway with bright wooden floors. Gemma stops then, motioning to a door to her right.

"You guys wait in there," she says. "I'll go grab Harry."

Perrie's eyes widen slightly but she heads into the room and Louis follows after.

There's nothing really special about the room. It's a rather small dressing room with a floor-to-ceiling mirror and a clothes rack on one wall and an oversized vanity along the opposite wall.

Perrie's fidgeting and Louis rubs her back gently.

"Breathe," he says. "He's just a normal lad who happens to sing sometimes."

Perrie snorts. "Normal? Did you just call Harry Styles 'normal'?"

"I'm anything but, darling," the man himself says, entering the room with a smirk on his lips, Gemma trailing after him.

Perrie freezes in place, eyes going wide. The worst part is, Louis isn't faring much better. Harry's voice is deeper than he remembers, a quiet, calming timber. He's taller too, long and lean in his form-fitting black jeans. His flowy white button-up is tantalizingly undone to the point that Louis glimpses a couple tattoos peeking out.

Harry breathes out a laugh. "Alright, everyone. Don't all talk at once." He sounds almost nervous himself and that snaps Louis out of his daze to find Harry's eyes trained on him. He shifts uncomfortably under the scrutiny but can't bring himself to look away.

"Sorry!" Perrie finally manages to speak up, drawing Harry's attention to her. "Just… Wow. You're my favorite singer!"

Harry laughs softly, "Thank you, love."

"18 is my song with my soulmate," Perrie says.

Louis doesn't miss the glance Harry shoots him or the way he shuffles his feet.

"That's lovely. Thank you," Harry says warmly, looking back to Perrie again.

"He wanted to be here but he had to work. He told me to tell you thanks though… for such a beautiful song."

Harry's smile is soft then, "Thank you for giving such a beautiful meaning to it."

Gemma speaks up then. "Shall we take some photos?"

"Oh that would be wonderful!" Perrie says, grinning broadly.

She digs her phone out of her purse and passes it to Gemma when she holds out her hand for it. Harry holds out his arm with a grin and a slight blush creeps over Perrie's cheeks as she settles against his side. Louis leans awkwardly against the wall, watching as they take a couple normal photos and a couple silly ones.

"How bout you, Louis?" Gemma asks when they're done. Louis startles a bit and meets her gaze. He could swear there's a quirk to her lips that's almost cheeky.

He blinks at her, scrambling for some kind of excuse, but he can't think of a way to turn it down without seeming rude. He sighs, moving away from the wall to slide his phone from his pocket and pass it over. He ignores the snicker he hears from Perrie.

Harry's expression is blank as Louis walks towards him. For a moment, they just assess each other until Harry finally lifts his arm. Louis clears his throat awkwardly and shuffles into position.

Gemma snaps the photo. She doesn't ask if he wants multiple poses. Both boys spring apart as soon as she hands the phone back.

Harry looks to Perrie. "It was very nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy the show."

"Lovely meeting you too!" Perrie says.

He turns to leave, then pauses, glancing back at Louis.

"It was nice to see you again," he says quietly before he disappears.

There's a beat of silence and then, "Again?!" Perrie squawks, slapping Louis's arm.

Louis tears his gaze from the door Harry had just disappeared through, rubbing his arm. "The fuck was that for?" He scowls at her.

"What does he mean by 'again'?!" There's an edge to her voice that sounds almost offended.

"How the fuck should I know?" Louis lies. He's still trying to process the fact that Harry remembers him from their brief encounter.

He finally catches sight of Gemma out of the corner of his eye and he turns his head to look at her. There's a crease in her brow and a frown on her lips. Louis really wishes he had any idea what the fuck just happened.

\-----

Another couple years pass by and Louis's managed to convince himself that his encounter with Harry was a freak twist of fate that's now behind him.

He's got a flat in London with Niall and Perrie and they're all just sort of trying to figure their shit out. Louis's got a couple part-time jobs to pay the bills, leaving him with just enough spare time to book pub gigs in an attempt to kickstart his music career. He refuses to give up on it, despite the fact that he's not really making any progress.

His favorite job is his bartender position in the fancy suites at The Bridge. It's not that he particularly enjoys being a bartender, but he likes his coworkers well enough and getting to watch footie on his breaks is a definite perk.

This particular night should be good, as Chelsea is playing their rivals and the match tends to draw a rambunctious crowd.

At the moment, he and Liam are just waiting for guests to arrive. Louis's wiping down the bar for lack of anything else to do when he catches sight of a glimmer of red on his finger.

"Oh fuck me," he says, holding his hand up to get a better look. Sure enough, wrapped securely around his pinky, is a bright red piece of string. It doesn't go anywhere but he could swear it's just a teensy bit longer than it was before.

"What?" Liam asks, looking up from his phone.

Louis quickly drops his hand but he can tell Liam's noticed by the way his eyebrow is arched.

Louis rolls his eyes, "Before you ask: No, I can't follow it."

Liam laughs softly. "Would you tell me if you could?"

Louis snorts. "I wouldn't tell anybody." He tosses the rag into the water bucket behind the counter. "It doesn't matter anyway. This stadium holds almost 42,000 people. Even if it had connected, I would never try to hunt someone down in this mess."

Liam scrunches his nose. "That does sound a bit inconvenient." He seems to think it over. "Though I suppose if you had the string to follow, it wouldn't be so hard, really."

Louis scoffs. "I'd take my chances on finding them again some other time."

"Unless they decided to find you in this crowd."

"Ugh. No soulmate of mine would put in that amount of effort."

Liam shrugs. "You never know."

"Well, lucky for me, I don't have to find out tonight."

Liam just chuckles and shakes his head.

The guests start arriving a few minutes later and Louis and Liam are in full service mode. Louis likes working with Liam best. He's quick, efficient, and eager to please so the guests are always reasonably happy with the pair of them.

He's not really paying attention to the room, just focused on making the list of drinks Liam's dropped off with him.

He selects bottles from the shelves and is turning to set them on the counter when he freezes, eyes widening. There, leaned against the bar, is Harry Fucking Styles.

Louis looks away quickly. He's equal parts mortified and annoyed. He's mortified that Harry's a world famous popstar and he's still a bartender, despite being on the same season of X Factor and he's annoyed because… well Harry's entire existence just annoys him.

Louis carefully maneuvers to set down the bottles he's holding. He can feel Harry's eyes following his every move. He takes a moment to straighten his expression before finally returning his gaze to Harry.

"What can I get for you?" he asks.

Harry picks at his lip, searching Louis's face before speaking. "Dog on a Motorcycle."

There's a moment's pause. Louis blinks at him. That's not a real drink. He can't figure out if Harry's lost his damn mind or if he's taking the piss.

"The fuck you on about?" He finally asks. He's never had the best filter.

A smirk slowly forms on Harry's lips. "Sorry. You looked so serious. I couldn't resist."

Louis snorts, amused despite himself. "Waste my fucking time," he finds himself joking. It earns him a giggle from Harry.

"You gonna tell me what you actually want then?"

"Tequila, please."

Louis scrunches his nose. "All that for a tequila?"

"Yes."

"Suit yourself, mate."

He turns back to the shelf, thinking it over before grabbing the best bottle he's got. He pours it into a glass and slides it over to Harry.

"Ta," Harry says, reaching for the glass. He doesn't move from the bar.

Louis eyes him warily before going back to work on his drink list for Liam. He watches Harry out of the corner of his eye. Harry rolls the glass between his hands almost thoughtfully before he finally takes a sip. He seems to sense someone watching him because he glances over as he sets the cup back down. Louis looks away quickly but he knows he's been caught.

"So…" He hears. "How have you been?"

To say Louis's surprised by the question is an understatement. He and Harry have said a grand total of about ten words to each other in over 7 years. Not to mention the fact that he's not sure why Harry continues to remember him. Harry must have met hundreds of people between each of their encounters. He and Louis have never had a conversation of particular significance and yet… here Harry is, leaned against his bar, asking him that question as if they're old friends.

Louis glances up from the drink he's working on. "Fine," he says. "You?"

"Fine," Harry says.

Louis nods a bit. They gaze at each other for a moment. Louis can't read the look on Harry's face and it makes him uncomfortable. He turns his attention back to his work, a welcome distraction from whatever is playing out right now. An awkward silence falls between them, filled only by the buzz of conversation around them and the clinking of bottles and glasses as Louis finishes off the drinks.

He sets everything on a tray and sets it aside for Liam to collect, then turns to put the bottles back where they belong. When he turns back around, Harry's still there, quietly sipping his drink.

Louis assesses him, noticing the shirt he's wearing for the first time. "Man U, eh?" he says, smirking slightly.

Harry blinks, clearly surprised at being addressed. Louis motions to his shirt and Harry looks down, breathing out a laugh before looking back to Louis.

"Oh. Yeah. They're my favorite."

"Brave of you to wear that shirt around here."

Harry shrugs. "Only way my friends could get me to a Chelsea match. Wanted to make sure the papers didn't call me a Chelsea supporter tomorrow." The last part is said with a bit of a smirk.

Louis laughs softly. "Course not. Can't have them thinking you have any taste."

"Heyyyyy!" Harry objects, though he's grinning now.

They share a smile and Louis's just thinking over what to say next when whatever moment they were having is interrupted by a man with fluffy brown hair. He wanders up, slinging his arm over Harry's shoulders.

"Harry! I didn't know you'd arrived!" He says, a bit more loudly than is absolutely necessary. Louis vaguely recognizes him as someone from radio and dislikes him already.

"Hey, Grimmy. Just got here. Wanted to grab a drink before I started to mingle," Harry says, motioning to his glass.

"Well you've got your drink, so come! Mingle!"

"Yeah alright. Give me a sec," Harry says with a laugh. His eyes lock on Louis's then. "I'll see you around?"

Louis's not sure if he means tonight or in general. Either way, he's surprised at the disappointment he feels.

"Yeah. Sure," he says.

Harry nods a bit and finally allows his friend to drag him from the bar and steer him off into the crowd of people.

Louis sighs, grabbing a rag to clean up. He can't make sense of anything going on in his head at the moment. The red string catches his eye again. He'd somehow managed to forget about it in his chat with Harry. He scowls at it now, suspicious that the universe is pushing him towards Harry as a means to connect him to his soulmate. Maybe it's some friend of Harry's. Maybe the time to meet his soulmate is closer than he thinks. Maybe he'll never talk to Harry Styles ever again just to be sure.

Of course, his plans are dashed that very same night.

Once the match starts, the group files down to their seats and Louis turns up the sound on the bar television to escape the silence he's been left with. He focuses his thoughts on the drink orders Liam continues to bring him and on what ends up being a pretty good match playing out on the television.

It's as he's shutting down that Harry finally returns. His cheeks are tinged pink, hair a bit mussed, and when he appears in the doorway, he just sort of stands there awkwardly for a moment, watching Louis.

Louis pauses his cleanup. "Last call's over," he says, though he knows deep down that's not why Harry's there.

"Yeah," Harry says, finally walking further into the room.

"Did you need something?"

Harry runs a hand through his hair. "We're about to head out. Game's almost over."

"Oh. Yeah. Well, take care then," Louis's not really sure what else to say or why Harry came back, honestly.

"We're… uhm… headed to an after-party at some club… if you wanted to come along."

"Wait… seriously?" Louis's brow furrows.

Harry shrugs. "Yeah… why not?"

"You don't really know me, for starters."

Harry's gaze drops then. "I mean technically, I've known you since I was sixteen."

Louis swallows hard, thinking it over. "I… Ok." He surprises himself with the response and it's clearly not what Harry was expecting either because he looks up quickly.

"Really?"

Well, he can't exactly back out now. "Yeah… I just need to finish my shift."

"Ok. Yeah. Of course. If you need a lift, I can wait. You might need my name to get in the door anyway."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Yeah, alright. Just come back here when the match is over. They'll kick you out of the stands and I'm guessing you don't want to be in the middle of the crowd trying to wait for me outside."

Harry chuckles. "Not particularly, no."

Louis nods. "Great… well… now that that's settled, get the fuck outta my bar. The longer you distract me, the longer it's gonna take me to clean up and get out of here."

Harry laughs. "See you in a bit," he says, heading back out into the stands.

Louis watches him go before taking a deep breath to compose himself.

Louis's manager is taking inventory when Harry returns. Liam's already been released so it's just Louis left, perched on a bar stool and awaiting his freedom.

Louis pats the stool beside him and Harry smiles as he takes a seat.

"Almost ready?" he asks.

"Yeah," Louis says. "Ben just needs to finish checking inventory and then I'm a free man."

"Cool," Harry leans back against the bar.

Louis tries to think of something to say to keep them from falling into an awkward silence.

"So… why Man U?" He finally asks.

Harry shrugs. "It was close enough to Holmes Chapel. Seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Did you grow up in Holmes Chapel then?"

"I did, yeah. You?"

"Doncaster."

Harry thinks for a second. "Rovers fan?"

"Yeah. Love em. I worked at Keepmoat before moving to London actually."

"When did you move?"

"About a year ago now. I've… uhm… got a flat with Perrie and her soulmate, Niall. Not sure if you remember but she's the one who was with me at the Manchester show."

"Ah yeah. I liked her. She was nice."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "She'll be thrilled to hear it."

Harry grins. "She's still a fan then?"

Louis laughs. "I'll say. Your albums are on heavy rotation in the flat." He smirks slightly. "Wish she'd warned me before I agreed to move in with her."

"Heyyyyyyy," Harry says, though there's a grin on his lips.

Louis giggles. "Nah. Your stuff's not half bad. I'd never really given it a listen before but I like it."

A blush colors Harry's cheeks and he looks down, seeming to examine his hand nervously. "Thank you," he says quietly.

Louis's wondering at the change in his demeanor but he doesn't get a chance to say anything further because Ben speaks up then.

"All good, Louis. You're free to go."

It takes Louis a second to process what Ben's just said before he looks up at him.

"Ta. Have a good night," he says, sliding off his stool.

Harry's gaze finally snaps up to him and he stands as well.

"We can take some of the staff tunnels to avoid crowds," Louis says.

Harry nods. "That'd be great. Thank you."

He still seems a bit off but Louis decides to let it go. He doesn't know him well enough yet to pry. Instead, he just grabs his denim jacket from where it's draped over the bar, pulling it on as he leads the way out a side door and down a flight of stairs.

They're quiet for a bit and Louis just listens to the sound of their footfalls echoing off the walls, not really sure what to say.

Harry only speaks up when they reach the bottom. "The car's waiting around the back."

Louis has a moment's pause, thinking about how nice it would be to hire a car instead of having to take the packed tube every day.

"Right," he says. "That's much easier to avoid people then."

They exit the stairwell and head down a couple hallways. The hallways are thankfully empty, as most everyone has already been let go for the night. Louis's just grateful to avoid drawing any attention to himself right now.

When they finally exit out the back, it's to a burst of cold air. Louis shoves his hands into his pockets, hunching into his jacket.

"Do you see it?" he asks.

Harry nods, pointing to a nondescript black SUV a few feet away. "That's it."

As they approach, the driver exits the car, opening the back door for them. The pair climb in and get settled. Harry rattles off an address for the driver to punch into the GPS before they head off.

Louis runs his hands over his thighs nervously, the weirdness of his current situation starting to sink in. It's then that he realizes the red string is still wrapped securely around his finger. It's shining brightly beneath the streetlights as they pass under them. He's starting to have his doubts that his soulmate was in the stadium, as they're now leaving the vicinity and the string seems determined to stay right where it is. He's never really understood the stupid string or how it works and it just makes him hate it even more. He rubs at it, annoyed with the fact that it's ever present but he can't grab onto it. It exists solely to mock him.

He senses Harry's gaze on him and when he looks over, Harry's eyes are fixed on Louis's hand. Louis swallows hard, feeling his cheeks heat up and he shoves his hand under his thigh to try and forget about the string.

Harry blinks and meets his gaze and for a moment, Louis thinks he looks sad. He can't imagine why that would be, so he brushes it off as a trick of the darkness.

Louis clears his throat, searching Harry's eyes as he tries to think of a way to break the awkward silence. He's in a car with a man he barely knows. It'd be a hell of a lot more worrying, he supposes, if Harry wasn't a world famous popstar. As it is, it's just bloody strange.

"So…" he finally speaks, "Do you write your own songs?"

Harry's brow furrows slightly but he nods. "For a while, I didn't get much of a say but I'm under new management now. I write most of the lyrics. I've got a team to help with the music."

"Must be a relief to have more freedom."

"It is, yeah." Harry picks at his lip and Louis's starting to notice it's a bit of a tick of his. "Do you still sing?"

Louis shifts uncomfortably, glancing away. "A bit."

"You have a nice voice."

Louis snorts, meeting his gaze again. "Come off it. You can't possibly remember my voice."

Harry shrugs. It's his turn to look away. "I remember it was good," he says quietly. He looks at Louis again. "Do you write your own songs?"

"I've… uhm… written a few things, yeah."

"Do you perform them at all?"

"Sometimes," Louis shifts uncomfortably. This isn't really a conversation he wants to have with a man who's selling out arenas while he's still playing shit pubs.

Harry seems to assess him for a moment before speaking again. "Do you have any siblings?"

Louis tilts his head, brow furrowing at the sudden shift in conversation. "What?"

"Siblings. Do you have any?" Harry arches an eyebrow, lips quirking up slightly at the corner.

Louis takes a breath, realizing he'd started to tense under the previous line of inquiry. He slouches back in his seat, running his hand through his hair.

"Yeah. 5 sisters and a brother."

"Wow!" Harry's eyes widen slightly. "Big family."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Yeah. How bout you?"

"Just one. You've met her. Gemma."

"Ah. I missed the family resemblance with you not having purple hair and all," Louis teases.

Harry giggles. "She's back to brown now."

Louis grins. "Does she still tour with you?"

"Not as much as she used to. She's met her soulmate." Harry frowns.

"Oh. Bummer." Louis chews his lip. "Are you close?"

Harry nods. "She's been my biggest supporter for as long as I can remember."

"It's nice to have someone like that."

"Are you close to your family?"

Louis nods. "My mum's my best friend. There's a bit of an age gap between my siblings and I. I'm the oldest by six years, so it took awhile for us to really get close. But I would do anything for any one of my siblings."

"What about your dad?"

Louis looks down at his lap. He hates this question more than anything else. He hates the implications of his answer and the judgement that inevitably follows. "He… left when I was little."

"Oh." There's a pause and then, "My parents are divorced too."

Louis looks up at him, wishing it wasn't so dark so he could make out the look on Harry's face. Still, in the brief silence, he can tell something changes and an understanding passes between them.

"How old were you?" Louis asks.

"Seven," Harry says quietly. "You?"

Louis snorts. "I was a baby."

"I'm sorry."

Louis shrugs. "It is what it is. Can't change the past." He clears his throat. "Besides… I wouldn't have my brother and sisters if mum hadn't moved on."

Harry smiles slightly. "At least there's a bright side."

Louis nods, trying to think of a question to ask to reroute the conversation from the deep turn it's taken, but he's saved from having to do so by the car slowing to a stop.

When the driver opens the door, Harry slides out of the SUV first, Louis following after him.

The building in front of them is covered in neon lights with a line stretched down the sidewalk and the thump of music drifting through the glass door.

Harry pays the line no mind, walking directly up to the bouncer. "Harry Styles," he says. "Plus one," he adds, motioning to Louis.

The bouncer checks the list on the clipboard before nodding. "Good evening, Mr. Styles."

Louis can hear the whispers as they bypass the line and head into the building. He doesn't have much time to think about it, as the music becomes overbearing almost instantly. Louis's eyes struggle to adjust to the sudden darkness that's pierced only by multi-colored strobe lights. The whole place is an assault on the senses and he's surprised Harry is the sort of person who would come here willingly.

He makes sure to keep close as Harry gently maneuvers through the crowd, making his way to the back corner where a large group of people is already squished around a giant booth.

The ones on the end start to shift over as they recognize Harry and a chorus of loud greetings issues from the table. Harry sinks down in the booth, patting the non-existent space beside him to encourage Louis to sit.

Louis eyes him for a moment before sinking down carefully, instantly aware that his thigh is pressed firmly against Harry's. There's no preventing it unless he wants to fall out of the booth. Harry either doesn't notice or doesn't care because he makes no effort to move any closer to the person on his other side.

A server comes over almost as soon as they get settled and Louis feels like he should be less surprised by the obvious VIP treatment considering who he's with.

"Tequila, please," Harry shouts over the noise. He fishes his wallet out of his pocket, sliding out his card and passing it to the server. "Add whatever he orders to my tab for the rest of the night," he says, motioning to Louis.

Louis looks over at him. "You don't have to do that."

Harry shrugs. "I know. But I want to."

Louis eyes him for a moment, finding his expression unreadable. He looks up at the server. "Vodka Redbull, please."

Harry snickers beside him. "And you judged me for tequila," he says.

Louis turns to him as the server walks away. "Piss off."

Harry giggles.

The group at the table seems lively enough, though Louis can hear fuck all of the conversation at any given moment. He's a few drinks in so he's not all that concerned about it and Harry's still by his side so he cares even less.

He realizes he's zoned out only when a nudge from Harry brings him back. He knows Harry's just said something but he didn't catch it over the music, despite the fact that Harry's practically on top of him.

"What?" He asks.

"I said 'We're going to dance. Want to come?'"

Louis makes a face. "I'm not much of a dancer."

"Neither am I." Harry nudges him again. "Come on. It'll be fun."

Louis thinks it over for a moment and decides there's really no point in sticking around at the booth with a few stragglers he doesn't know. He stands slowly and the bright grin he receives from Harry keeps him from regretting his decision.

They follow the rest of the group to the dance floor. It's crowded and there's not really room for them to stay clustered together. They wiggle in where they can fit and when Louis glances around, he realizes it's just him and Harry in the little square of the floor they've managed to commandeer. If he'd thought they were squished in the booth, it's nothing compared to the way they're now crammed together in the midst of the shifting bodies around them.

He looks to Harry, realizing Harry's eyes are already locked on him. Louis only has a split second to process what's happening before Harry's hands come up to settle on his waist.

Harry's tense, his grasp on Louis tentative. Louis's arms slide around Harry's shoulders and Harry's hands press tighter against his waist, pulling him closer to eliminate what little space there had been between them.

Louis inhales sharply as Harry starts to move his hips and Louis falls easily into the beat with him. He's far too aware of the hard line of Harry's body against him, of each fingertip that feels like it's searing holes in his shirt right through to his skin.

Harry leans down, warm breath ghosting over Louis's ear as he speaks and Louis can't hold back the shiver it elicits from him.

"Is this alright?" Harry asks.

"Better than," Louis replies.

He realizes then just how nervous Harry was when he feels his shoulders drop as his muscles relax.

Louis understands. It's nerve-wracking to navigate boundaries with a non-soulmate. It's something he's had far too much experience with. Some people find this sort of interaction more taboo than others. Louis's of the mindset that a piece of string doesn't get to determine how he feels and tonight, he just wants to feel this.

Harry lifts his head to gaze down at him and Louis watches as the colored lights dance briefly over his features. For the first time, Louis allows himself to accept the fact that Harry is beautiful.

Louis wishes he could read his expression but in the impossible darkness, he knows all he can do is trust his own instincts.

He leans forward swiftly, pressing his lips to Harry's. For a moment, Harry doesn't respond and Louis fears he's made a grave miscalculation, but then… Harry moves his hands up to Louis's back, grasping him tightly as his lips part in a sigh that Louis feels nestle itself deep inside him.

Louis slides a hand up into his hair, burying his fingers in the soft curls. Harry's breath catches and Louis tugs gently, enjoying the shiver he feels run through Harry's body.

Harry seems to gain more confidence. His hands explore Louis's back and when one finally comes to rest on his arse, Louis accidentally lets out a moan, relieved that it gets lost instantly in the incessant thump of the music.

He finally forces himself to break the kiss gently, realizing they're getting carried away. He ends it with a soft peck to Harry's lips, trying to convey his regret that it's over.

Harry's eyes open slowly, though his grasp on Louis doesn't ease up. He swallows hard, seeming to consider his next words carefully before he finally speaks.

"Do you wanna get out of here?" He asks, just loud enough to be heard over the music.

Louis thinks it over. For the second time that night, he considers just how little he actually knows Harry. He can't deny though that he's a bit intrigued by Harry and he's willing to see this night through to whatever end.

He nods. "Yeah. Alright."

Harry grins and leans in, giving him one more quick kiss that Louis readily accepts.

"I just need to close the tab," Harry says.

"I'll grab our jackets from the booth. Meet you outside?"

Harry nods. It takes him another moment to actually pull away and let go of Louis.

He turns and Louis follows him as they weave their way back through the crowd. Harry glances at him briefly before heading to the bar and Louis finds their booth, retrieving both jackets.

He pulls his jacket on as he heads out the front door. The silence hits him almost as quickly as the cold. It's late. The line is long gone. Whether they gave up or actually made it inside, he'll never know.

He gives a nod to the bouncer and finds a spot off to the side to stand and wait for Harry.

The reality of what's happening slowly begins to dawn on him. He's just kissed Harry Styles. The thing is, he's never been all that concerned over Harry's fame. At least, not in the usual way. He's envied it from afar, even resented Harry for it. But from the moment they ran into each other in the doorway all those years ago, Harry's just been that ridiculously beautiful, totally unbearable pain in Louis's arse.

The only thing making it infinitely weirder is that they're not soulmates. It's been longer than he cares to admit since he's slept with anyone. Some people are down to have a bit of fun before finding their soulmate, but Louis wants more than just a night in the sack. He wants to enjoy it, wants to feel something. He's tired of living in a world controlled so deeply by a bit of red fucking string.

He hears the door open and looks over. Harry's just wandered out. It takes him a moment to spot Louis and when he does, his smile is tinged with nervousness as he approaches.

Louis watches him shiver a bit in the cold and remembers he's still got Harry's jacket draped over his arm. He extends it out to him and Harry accepts it gratefully, taking a minute to slip it on.

"Should I call us an uber?" Harry asks.

Louis swallows hard. "Yeah. Sounds good."

Harry nods and slides his phone out of his pocket. He taps into the app but his thumbs pause on his phone almost immediately. He glances up at Louis, a light blush coloring his cheeks.

"My place?" He asks.

"If… uhm…" Louis clears his throat, trying to stave off the sudden wave of nerves. "If you want."

Harry seems to consider him for a moment before looking back down at his phone. Louis lets out a soft sigh, lifting his hand to run his fingers through his hair. He catches sight of the red string shining under the streetlights and his eyes widen. He forgets about his hair, shoving his hand into his pocket instead. He wishes the stupid thing could just disappear.

Harry finishes up and tucks his phone back in his pocket. He rocks back and forth on his feet. Louis can't help but watch him. His eyes are trained on the road, keeping an eye out for the uber, Louis assumes. His jaw is set, hands shoved in his jacket pockets to try and fight off the cold. Louis thinks only briefly that he'd like to burrow into Harry for warmth but he quickly dismisses the thought.

Harry seems to sense his gaze because he stops rocking and turns to Louis.

"Do I have something on my face?" he asks.

Louis feels his face heating up and really hopes he's been in the cold long enough for pink cheeks to hide the blush.

"No," he says.

Harry tilts his head, seeming to consider Louis before he turns his gaze back to the road. Louis awkwardly follows suit, eyes scanning for the uber. It's only then that he realizes he has no idea what type of car is coming for them. He doesn't really want to ask now.

Luckily, it's only a few more minutes before the car arrives. One of the perks of being in the middle of London, he supposes.

Harry confirms the information with the driver before opening the back door and sliding across the seat. Louis climbs in after, shutting the door behind himself before buckling in.

The radio's playing some top 40s station and for a few minutes, Louis just stares out the window, letting it drown out his thoughts. It surprises him when Harry speaks up.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asks quietly.

Louis glances to the driver but he's given no indication he's heard anything. He moves his gaze to Harry, taking in his expression. Louis can tell he's trying to remain neutral, though the slight furrow to his brow gives him away.

"Of course." Louis says.

"You're quiet." Harry picks at his lip nervously and Louis's eyes follow the motion against his will, his mind flashing back to their kiss.

"Just got a bit lost in my head," he says, snapping himself out of it and bringing his gaze back up to meet Harry's.

Harry frowns and Louis thinks over his options. He looks down to where Harry's hand is resting on the seat and he extends his hand timidly, laying it over Harry's.

When he looks back up, Harry's gaze is still fixed steadily on their hands. His eyes have gone a bit wide and Louis is afraid he's overstepped. He starts to pull his hand back, but Harry latches onto it, turning his own hand over to link their fingers tightly.

Louis sucks in a breath at the warmth radiating from his palm.

Harry looks up at Louis and Louis's stomach flips.

"We're good, okay? I'm good." Louis smiles slightly. "I'm known for having a bit of a mouth. You'll hear from me if I'm not okay, I promise."

Harry breathes out a laugh. "Okay."

"Are you good?"

Harry nods. "I am. Yeah."

Louis squeezes Harry's hand, feeling Harry's thumb run gently over the back of his hand in response.

A new song starts up then and Louis giggles softly. It takes Harry a moment to catch on, but when he does, he laughs as Sign of the Times serenades them from the radio.

"I like this one," Louis admits. It's worth it for the way Harry's grin lights up his face.

"Thank you," he says.

They fall quiet and listen to the music for the remainder of the ride. Louis allows himself to focus on the songs and that, along with the feeling of Harry's hand still clutched in his own, helps to stave off his nerves.

As the car slows to a stop, Louis feels Harry squeeze his hand before letting go. He swallows hard, glancing over at Harry, but Harry's currently focused on thanking their driver.

Louis breathes in deeply, exiting the car. He shivers in the cold, listening to the sounds of Harry shuffling out after him before joining him on the sidewalk.

The car drives off and then it's just the two of them on a quiet, empty London street. It hits Louis then that this is the most alone they've ever been. His stomach feels like it's twisted into knots.

He hears the jangle of Harry's keys as he pulls them from his pocket. Harry throws one quick look at Louis, then heads up to the door, leaving Louis no choice but to follow.

Once they're successfully inside, Harry flicks on a light, shutting the door behind them. As he turns back to Louis, their eyes meet and Louis feels a chill run down his spine. There's a tension hanging in the air and it's getting the best of him. When Harry licks his lips, probably buzzing with the same nervous energy, Louis decides he can't take it anymore.

He steps forward, fingers fisting in Harry's jacket as he presses him back against the door. Harry's eyes widen but when Louis leans in, Harry readily meets him for a kiss. His arms wrap around Louis, dragging him closer, and Louis moans as their bodies connect.

Harry starts shoving at Louis's coat and Louis wiggles out of it, tossing it aside before helping Harry out of his. He leans down then, nipping at Harry's neck before sucking gently where it meets his shoulder. Harry gasps, knees buckling slightly. Louis presses harder against him, holding him up. He can feel the blood rushing to his cock and a tentative grind against Harry confirms he's in a similar state. He revels in the unfettered moan Harry rewards him with.

"Louis," Harry breathes and his voice already sounds strained. "Bed."

Louis lets out a soft groan, not wanting to break apart from him, but he knows a bed would be far more comfortable than Harry's front door.

He presses a lingering kiss to his neck that earns him a sigh from Harry before he finally pulls away.

It takes Harry a moment to open his eyes and lift himself from where he's slouched against the door. His hair's already mussed a bit and Louis finds himself very ready to see what it looks like when the night is done.

Louis watches Harry's throat bob as he swallows. Harry steps forward, keeping his eyes locked on Louis's as he takes his hand, twining their fingers together. Louis squeezes Harry's hand in response, allowing Harry to lead him further into the house.

Louis breathes in deeply. His heart's pounding in his chest and all he wants is to be back on top of Harry, kissing every inch of his skin.

Harry leads him up the stairs and down a hallway to his bedroom. He flicks on the light before turning to face Louis again.

Louis's breath catches in his throat at the vulnerability on Harry's face. Harry's hand comes up to cup his cheek and Louis turns into it, kissing his palm. That seems to be enough encouragement for Harry because he finally leans in, capturing his lips in a kiss.

Louis moans softly. He gently releases Harry's hand so he can use both of his to guide Harry back towards the very plush looking bed. Harry follows his lead easily until the back of his knees hit the bed. He breaks the kiss to plop down, hands coming up to rest on Louis's hips.

Louis allows himself to be pulled down into Harry's lap, resting his knees on either side of him. He rocks his hips down into him, causing them both to moan. Louis's fully hard now and suspects Harry's the same, though it's difficult to tell between so many layers of clothes. He needs to fix that problem.

His hands move down, tugging up on Harry's shirt. Harry lifts his arms, allowing him to pull it off. Louis casts it aside, then cups both of Harry's cheeks in his hands, kissing him again. He feels Harry begin to tug on his shirt and he lifts his arms to help him get it off. He shivers as Harry's hands begin to rove over his back.

Their current position makes jeans removal difficult and Louis thinks through his options before finally forcing himself to disconnect from Harry again. Harry lets out a soft groan of protest and tries to tug him back, but Louis doesn't allow it.

"Jeans. Off." Louis says.

Harry's eyes widen at the command and he starts unbuttoning his jeans as Louis works on his own. He kicks off his shoes in the process, tugging his jeans and socks off. When he looks back up, Harry's still seated on the edge of the bed, clad in nothing but tiny black briefs that are tented obscenely and leave little to the imagination.

Louis's whole body feels hot. "Scoot back," he says.

Harry keeps his eyes locked on him as he slides back on the bed. Louis climbs up, waiting for Harry to get situated before settling between his legs.

Louis carefully lowers himself onto him, moaning at the warmth of Harry's body. He leans down, kissing him as his hips start to grind against him. Harry moans and Louis swallows it in the kiss. He feels Harry's hands running over his back, his fingertips tracing his skin, and it feels like all of his nerve endings are on fire.

Louis breaks the kiss, desperate for more, and begins kissing his way down Harry's neck. Harry's pulse flutters against his lips and he stops only briefly to suck at it before continuing downward.

Harry's upper body is littered with tattoos and Louis pauses briefly to admire them. His fingers trace over the nearly identical sparrows just beneath his collarbones and it elicits a shiver from Harry.

Louis smirks slightly. "Like that?" he asks, watching Harry's face. Harry's eyes are currently closed, lips parted just the slightest.

"Mmhmm," he hums out.

Louis grins, replacing his fingers with his lips. He kisses a path across the sparrows, then down over the butterfly, continuing lower to a tantalizing pair of laurel leaves that stop just above the line of Harry's briefs. Harry's fingers find Louis's hair, burying themselves in it as he moves down.

Louis drags his lips along the first leaf and now Harry's squirming on the bed. Louis grabs his hips, shoving them down to hold him still. It earns him the loudest moan he's gotten from Harry so far. The hands in his hair clench but Louis's too far gone himself to mind the slight pull. He smirks against Harry's skin, then switches to the other leaf, ready to hold Harry back this time when his hips attempt to rut.

He can smell the musky scent of Harry now. He's so close to where he wants to be, where he knows Harry wants him to be.

His fingers hook in Harry's briefs but he pauses, looking up at him again.

"May I?" He asks.

It takes Harry a moment to respond. He lifts his head just enough to gaze down at him.

"Yes," he says. "Please."

Louis slowly tugs his briefs down as Harry relaxes into the bed again. He manages to get them off before turning back to take in the sight of Harry splayed out naked in front of him. His cock is long and fully hard between his legs. He's so beautiful, spread out like this just for Louis. The thought makes Louis's cock twitch and he moans, finally leaning in to complete his mission.

He wraps his hand around Harry's cock, steadying it so he can wrap his lips around it. He takes in the tip first, licking the bit of precome from it. Harry's hips jerk and Louis uses his free hand to pin him to the bed. One of Harry's fists clenches in the sheets as the other finds Louis's hair again.

Louis moves his lips down, taking in as much of Harry's cock as he can. Harry groans and Louis begins bobbing his head, keeping up the pace with his hand. He drags his tongue along the underside of Harry's cock and Harry's whole body shivers.

It's absolutely filthy and Louis moans around his cock, delighting in the whimper that issues from Harry's lips.

He moves up, teasing at the head again. He can tell by the way Harry's stomach clenches that he's already getting close.

Louis moves from the tip, pressing kisses along the shaft as his hand continues to move up and down. Harry's trying to squirm and Louis keeps a firm grasp on him.

He licks a stripe back up to the top and Harry's cock twitches. When Louis swallows him again, Harry jerks.

"Louis… gonna…" he warns.

Louis continues bobbing and Harry comes with a loud moan. Louis drinks it in carefully before finally easing off of him. He sits back, wiping at his lips and gazing down at Harry, who looks thoroughly fucked out on the bed. His skin is flushed from his face down over his chest which is currently rising and falling rapidly as he pants.

Louis slides out from between his legs and crawls up the bed to stretch out beside him.

Harry's eyes flutter open and he turns to look at Louis.

"Hi," Louis says, smirking slightly. "Feel good?"

Harry swallows hard and nods. "Feel great," he says.

Louis giggles mischievously and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to Harry's lips.

He pulls back from it just enough to be able to gaze down at Harry.

"You're fucking beautiful, by the way."

Harry's cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. "Thanks," he mumbles. He chews on his lip, seeming to consider his next words. "Do you want one?"

Louis shrugs. "Only if you want to give me one."

Harry nods. "I do."

Louis kisses him again before shifting with him so he's able to stretch out on the bed and Harry can take up the perch between his legs.

Louis reaches his hands out for Harry, pleasantly surprised when Harry twines their fingers together and pins Louis's hands down on either side of his head.

"Fuck, that's hot," Louis says.

Harry smirks, leaning down to kiss him. Louis moans into it, straining against Harry's hands but Harry doesn't let up. It only makes Louis moan louder.

Harry breaks away from the kiss to suck on his neck and Louis gasps. His neck is particularly sensitive and Harry's lips are so plump and soft.

His cock is currently straining against his briefs and when Harry sucks a mark that's sure to leave a hickey, Louis feels his cock twitch, just begging to be touched.

He can't help but groan. "Fuck, Harry."

"Enjoying yourself?" Harry asks, lips still pressed to Louis's skin. His warm breath sends a shiver down Louis's spine.

"If you're not careful, that's the only thing you'll be sucking tonight," Louis mutters.

Harry giggles and finally seems to decide to leave his neck alone, moving his lips down over Louis's torso. He's forced to release Louis's hands as he continues lower and Louis instantly brings his hands up to bury in Harry's hair.

Harry reaches his briefs and gently tugs them down. Louis shivers as his cock is finally freed. Harry leans down, licking a full stripe along the underside. It's unexpected and Louis arches off the bed, fingers tightening in Harry's hair.

Harry's hands grab his hips, forcing him to stay still and Louis thinks he could really get used to Harry pinning him down.

Harry presses kisses over his cock before finally using one hand to take hold of it. His lips tease at the tip before he swallows Louis without warning.

Louis moans, feet sliding on the bed as he struggles against the urge to buck his hips. As Harry bobs, he tests that urge but a firm hand keeps him steady.

Harry teases at the tip again and Louis feels a delicious heat building.

"I'm close," he warns. He makes the mistake of looking down at Harry and the image itself is almost too much. Naked Harry nestled between his legs, kiss-swollen pink lips wrapped around Louis's cock.

When he glances up at Louis through the dark eyelashes fanned out above his bright green eyes, Louis nearly loses it then and there. He inhales sharply, watching Harry respond with the most obscene smirk imaginable.

Harry keeps eye contact as he swallows Louis and that's all the encouragement Louis needs to let go. His eyes fall shut and he comes, body shaking as his head falls back against the bed.

He hears the filthy pop as Harry slides his lips off of him and he has to focus on regulating his breathing.

The bed sheets rustle and he can feel Harry's presence beside him. He opens his eyes, turning his head to look at him.

Harry's got a smug grin on his lips and Louis breathes out a laugh.

"Guess you don't need me to tell you I enjoyed it," he teases.

Harry snickers. "I could tell you did."

Louis smirks. "Come here, you git," he says, reaching up to drag Harry in for a kiss.

Harry giggles against his lips and Louis feels a surge of fondness for him in that moment.

When they finally break apart, Harry stays perched over Louis.

"Will you stay the night?" Harry asks.

The question shouldn't surprise Louis as much as it does but it must show in his expression because Harry backtracks quickly.

"No pressure. Just… asking. You know, since it's late and all," he looks away and the clear disappointment makes Louis's decision easy.

"No no. I'll stay. I just… wasn't expecting it, is all. But I'd like to."

Harry meets his gaze again. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Of course."

Harry searches his eyes. He seems to find what he's looking for because he leans down to kiss him softly.

"Get settled. I'll get the light," he says.

Louis grins at him, pleased when Harry smiles back. Harry gives him another quick kiss before finally climbing out of bed.

Louis sits up, tugging the duvet down before sliding under. He scoots to the middle of the bed and gets cozy. The light switch clicks, plunging the room into darkness and he listens to the soft pats of Harry's feet as he makes his way back to the bed.

Louis lifts the duvet and Harry slides in. There are a few inches of space between them and from the way Harry still hasn't seemed to settle, Louis thinks he knows what he wants.

Louis lifts his arm as an invitation and it only takes a moment for Harry to move closer. Their legs tangle together. Harry drapes his arm over Louis's waist as he settles his head beneath Louis's chin. Louis feels Harry press a soft kiss to his neck and responds with one to the top of Harry's head.

As Louis drifts to sleep, he realizes Harry gave him exactly what he wanted tonight. For once, Louis felt something.

When Louis wakes in the morning, it takes him a moment to register where he is. He starts to roll over, then realizes he's wrapped up in a warm body. His eyes open slowly to find Harry still tucked against him and the night before rushes back to him with startling clarity. If he's being completely honest with himself, it's the best night he's had with another person in a long time. He doesn't have these sort of encounters often and when he does have them, he never spends the night.

He winces, realizing the arm under Harry's gone a bit numb.

He thinks over his options which really only turns out to be one option.

He tries to wiggle his arm free without waking Harry, but the first tug of his arm is greeted with a snuffle from Harry. Louis stills but it's too late. Harry squirms a bit, letting out a soft groan. He lifts his head from where it's still buried in Louis's neck and smiles sleepily.

"Morning," he says.

"Morning," Louis replies.

Harry kisses him gently, mouth closed, then pulls back again.

"Sleep well?" he asks.

Louis can't help but smile. "Very."

Harry grins. "Do you want me to make breakfast?"

Louis chews his lip. "What time is it?"

Harry lifts up slightly, looking at the clock on the nightstand behind Louis.

"Just gone ten," he says, settling back down.

"Fuck," Louis groans. "I can't. I have to be at work at noon."

Harry's brow furrows. "There's not a game today."

Louis sighs. "Another job." The difference in their realities slowly sinks in again. Harry's famous. Louis's just trying to make ends meet.

"Oh," Harry frowns, looking away.

Louis gazes at him for a moment, thinking over his response.

"Another time, yeah?" he says gently.

Harry meets his gaze again. His brow's furrowed and he seems to consider Louis before he speaks.

"Yeah. Alright," he says.

Harry is still a bit tense and Louis's not sure why. Louis leans in to kiss him softly, hoping to ease whatever's on his mind, pleased when Harry at least responds readily.

When he finally pulls back, he runs his fingers through Harry's hair.

"I should get going. I still have to get back across London and get ready."

Harry nods, pulling away from Louis, his expression blank.

Louis feels a bit of a chill now that Harry's not pressed against him. He extracts himself from the duvet and sits up, realizing then that Harry hasn't moved. He glances at him as he stands from the bed but Harry pays him no attention.

Louis collects his clothes, getting dressed as he finds each item. After a bit of a hunt for the second sock, he finally locates it, sitting on the edge of the bed to put it on along with his shoes.

Harry's in the same spot, curled on his side. Louis wanders over, sinking down on the edge of the bed behind him and running his fingers through his hair.

"Do you want to swap numbers?"

Harry finally turns over a bit to look at him.

"Yeah," he says.

"Where's your phone?"

At that, Harry blushes. "Wherever my jeans are."

Louis giggles at the reminder of the night before, pleased when Harry smiles shyly.

Louis kisses his shoulder, standing to walk to the foot of the bed where Harry's jeans are in a ball on the floor. He locates Harry's phone and goes back to his spot on the bed, handing the phone to Harry.

"Unlock it and I'll put my number in," Louis says.

Harry does as he's told before handing the phone back. Louis finds the contact list, adding his information. He gives Harry his phone back.

"Text me, yeah?" Louis says.

"Yeah."

Louis leans down to give him another kiss before standing up.

"I'll see you around then?"

Harry nods, his expression back to being unreadable. Louis chews his lip and finally turns away, heading out the door.

As he's leaving, he collects his jacket from the entryway. When he spots Harry's still lying in a crumpled heap, he plucks it up gently from the floor and lays it over the back of the couch in the sitting room.

Once he's made it outside, his phone tells him it's 10:15. He has no choice but to splurge on an uber if he plans to make it to work on time. Lovely.

And yet, he finds, he doesn't regret a thing.

\-----

Louis's not expecting a text the very next day, but when the third day comes and goes, he starts to think maybe Harry's changed his mind. By the fifth day, he's in a bit of a mood despite himself and he doesn't really want to think about why that might be.

He's home with Niall and Perrie on one of his rare nights off. They're chattering on about something, but he's slouched in his corner of the sofa, tossing his phone back and forth between his hands, pretending to watch the telly.

When his phone vibrates suddenly, it startles him and he nearly flings it across the room. He tries to stop it from flying out of his hand and only manages to hit it so it clatters to the floor at his feet instead. He groans.

The conversation pauses and Niall looks over at him.

"You ok there, Tommo?"

"Yeah. Fine," Louis mumbles.

His phone's upside-down and he's wary as he leans over to pick it up. He breathes a sigh of relief when he flips it over to find it undamaged and he taps to open it as he sits back in his seat.

The notification is a text from an unknown number and his brow furrows. He refuses to admit that there's a bit of hope bubbling in his chest.

He opens the text and his stomach swoops.

_Hey. It's Harry. Sorry it took so long. I've been busy._

Louis mulls over his response. Play it cool, Tommo, he thinks.

_It's fine. Me too._

He taps his finger on the side of his phone, watching the little dots pop up to let him know Harry's typing.

_Are you free December 10th?_

Louis breathes deeply. Harry wants to see him again. He checks his calendar to make sure there's nothing on it. He'll just have to put in the requests through his jobs for time off.

_Should be._

_I'm performing at Jingle Bell Ball. Do you want to come?_

_I'd love to._

_Brilliant. I have extra tickets if Perrie and her soulmate would like to join._

Louis can't help but feel a touch of disappointment. He was hoping it'd just be the two of them. Still, he knows this isn't something he can keep from Perrie.

"Hey, Pez," he says, looking up from his phone.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have tickets for Jingle Bell Ball yet?" he asks.

"Yeah, they're in my Gucci purse," Perrie says.

Louis smirks a bit. "Well do you want to go?"

Perrie crinkles her nose at him, brow furrowing.

"I've got tickets," Louis says.

"Shut the fuck up."

"I'm serious. There's one for Niall too."

Niall arches an eyebrow at him. "Come again?"

Perrie seems wary. "How did you manage to get your hands on three Jingle Bell Ball tickets?"

Louis clears his throat, not sure how much to reveal. "I… know a guy," he says, gaze dropping to his lap.

There's a pause and then, "Did you meet your soulmate and not fucking tell us?" Niall asks.

Louis looks up quickly. "What? Fuck off. Course not." He frowns at them. "He's just a friend."

Perrie and Niall exchange a look.

It's Perrie who finally speaks up. "If you're sure, then we'd love to go."

"That's all you had to say," Louis grumbles. He returns his attention back to his phone to respond to Harry.

_They said yes._

Harry doesn't answer. When Louis finally gives up on getting a response, he sets his phone aside. It's only then that he notices the bright red string wrapped around his finger. He scowls at it and shoves his hand under his thigh so he doesn't have to look at it.

The only other time Harry texts him is to make arrangements for meeting up. Louis thinks about reaching out now that he has Harry's number but he doesn't want to seem desperate, especially since Harry hasn't seemed keen on conversation.

By the time Jingle Bell Ball finally rolls around, Louis's decided that if Harry just wants to be friends, that's fine by him. He still hasn't told Niall and Perrie that Harry's his ticket connection. There's never really been a time to casually bring up that he's friends with Harry Styles. If he's being completely honest, he's mostly just wanted to avoid the inevitable questions.

The red string appears while they're on the tube and Louis scowls at it. Of course he can't follow it. It's showing up just to taunt him at the most inconvenient time imaginable. Same as always.

He does his best to ignore it, grateful when they finally reach the O2 and he's able to distract himself by trying to locate the back entrance where they're supposed to meet Gemma to pick up their tickets.

He knows he's found it when he spies the trucks flanked by security. There's a small barricade set up, presumably to keep fans back, and Gemma's leaning against it, clipboard in hand. She straightens up when she catches sight of the group.

Louis can tell the moment Perrie recognizes her because she speaks up.

"Louis, what the fuck?" she hisses, though she doesn't have time to receive an answer or press him any further, as they're already nearing the barricade.

Gemma smiles politely as they approach. "Louis, Perrie, lovely to see you again." Her eyes find Niall then and she holds out her hand. "You must be Perrie's soulmate. I'm Gemma."

"Niall," he says, shaking her hand. "Pleasure."

"Likewise," Gemma says, releasing his hand. She looks down at her clipboard, carefully plucking a small envelope from beneath the clamp and holding it out to Louis.

"There you are," she says. She seems to be assessing him, but for what, Louis can't say. "Meet me here after the show. Just text Harry when you've made it out and I'll come get you."

Louis nods. "Yeah. Alright."

"Good." Gemma turns her attention to Perrie and Niall then. "Enjoy the show."

"Ta," Perrie says.

Gemma heads back inside, leaving Louis alone with Perrie and Niall.

"What the fuck, Louis?" Perrie says, whacking him on the arm as soon as Gemma's out of sight.

"Ow!" Louis frowns, finally looking over at her. "What was that for?"

"What was that for?! Come off it. You're talking to Harry Styles! Since when?"

Louis glances nervously at security but they don't seem to be paying the trio any mind. He swallows hard, bringing his gaze back to Perrie.

"Couple weeks ago. He was at the Chelsea/Man U match. We grabbed drinks after," Louis tries not to think about what happened later that night.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" Niall finally speaks up.

Louis shrugs. "Didn't seem important."

"You had a night out with Harry Styles and it 'didn't seem important'?" Perrie says.

"I didn't think anything would come of it! Not until he texted about the tickets."

"So you didn't think that might have been a good time to tell us?"

Louis sighs. "I'm sorry I kept it from you. I didn't think it was a big deal. Can we please just enjoy tonight?"

Perrie eyes him warily. "Fine. But you're not off the hook yet," she says, before turning and heading in the direction of the front entrance.

Louis looks at Niall a bit helplessly but Niall just shrugs and follows after Perrie, leaving Louis no choice but to trail behind.

Lucky for him, Harry has managed to reserve floor seats for them and Perrie's mood improves considerably.

It's a struggle, as always, to get out of the arena, but they finally make it and head towards the back entrance. Unfortunately for them, there's a hoard of fangirls trying to catch sight of their favorite singers and Louis's not really sure how they're gonna make it up to meet Gemma.

He texts Harry to let him know they're out there and Gemma appears only a few minutes later. She spots them at the back and Louis watches her whisper something to security.

The guards manage to get the crowd to part enough for Louis, Perrie, and Niall to slip through them and between the barricades to where Gemma is.

"Harry's getting changed," she says. "We're heading to the after-party. You can ride with us if you'd like."

"After-party?" Perrie's eyes are slightly wide.

"Yeah. Most of the talent will be there. All of the radio hosts. Some industry people. It's not that grand but Harry wants to make an appearance," she shrugs a bit as if to brush it off before speaking again. "Come along. Harry will meet us at the car."

As Gemma turns and heads off, Perrie glaces at Louis and mouths After-party?! before following Gemma.

Niall chuckles as he and Louis follow behind. "This might be the best night of her life."

Louis breathes out a laugh, but his stomach's determined to slowly twist itself into knots at the thought of seeing Harry again. He's not really sure what to expect since they've barely texted.

Gemma leads them to a black SUV, tucked amongst a bunch of eerily similar cars in a small garage.

The girls are chattering away now so they slide in the backseat together, Niall following after them.

That, of course, leaves Louis in the middle row with an empty seat for Harry. He sighs, climbing in and over to the far seat, getting settled. His fingers tap nervously on the armrests and he stares out the window for lack of anything better to do. His mind's preoccupied anyway, replaying his last encounter with Harry on an infinite loop.

It's only a few more minutes before the back door opens again and he looks over, watching as Harry climbs in.

Harry seems to sense his gaze because their eyes meet.

"Hello," Harry says. "How are you?"

"Fine," Louis says, hand clenching slightly on his armrest to keep his nerves at bay. "You?"

"Fine," Harry replies. His eyes linger briefly on Louis before finally moving on to the group squished in the back.

"Perrie, it's nice to see you again. Did you enjoy the show?" he asks, smiling warmly.

Perrie looks like she might faint. "I did, yeah. Thanks."

Harry turns his attention to Niall then, holding out his hand. "Hi, 'm Harry."

"Niall. Nice to meet ya," Niall says, shaking his hand.

"Likewise," Harry replies.

He finally turns around and gets settled in his seat, buckling in.

"We're ready, Paul," Harry says to the driver.

"Right-o," Paul says.

The car starts and Paul pulls out. Louis can tell when they've been spotted because screams start issuing from the crowd at the barricade. He's thankful the windows are heavily tinted and it'd be impossible for anyone to identify the car's occupants.

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. The backseat has resumed whatever conversation they were having so at least their voices fill what would otherwise be an awkward silence between him and Harry.

Still, it doesn't take long for Louis to decide he can't take it and he finally speaks.

"You were great tonight," he says.

Harry pulls his focus from the window to look at Louis. "Oh. Ta."

"Thank you for the tickets. We had a blast. Never been to Jingle Bell Ball before."

"I'm glad I could help."

"It was nice of you to invite Perrie and Niall."

Harry shrugs. "Figured you didn't want to spend the show alone."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Not really, no."

"Did you enjoy the other performances?"

"I did, yeah. Normally this type of music's their thing," he says, motioning to Perrie and Niall. "But it wasn't bad."

"What music do you like?"

"Arctic Monkeys, Oasis… that sort of stuff. What about you?"

Harry shrugs. "I listen to a bit of everything, I suppose. Love older music though. Fleetwood Mac, Elvis, The Beatles. Got it from my parents."

Louis nods a bit. "So do you have any more of these shows or are you done?"

"This was it for me. Heading to Holmes Chapel for the holidays soon."

"Do you get back there often?"

"Often as I can, anyway," Harry seems to consider his next words. "Are you going back to Doncaster?"

Louis sighs. "Thinking of driving up for Christmas day but it depends on my work schedule."

Harry's brow furrows. "At The Bridge?"

Louis drops his gaze to his lap. "No. Another job. Uhm. I bartend at The Apollo Victoria. I'm usually there if I'm not at The Bridge."

There's a pause and Louis thinks the conversation's dropped off. He's inclined to let it. He rubs absentmindedly at the red string, wondering if it's a trick of his imagination or if it's brighter tonight.

He's surprised when Harry actually speaks again.

"There's no shame in bartending, you know."

Louis lifts his gaze, arching an eyebrow at him. "Says the man selling out arenas."

There's a brief pause before Harry speaks. "My success doesn't define yours," he says calmly.

Louis's eyes widen. He's not sure if he's more surprised by the bluntness of Harry's words or by how accurately they pinpoint the source of his insecurity. He swallows hard, not really sure how to respond. Harry's not wrong.

His fingers flex on his knee and he shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He can tell Harry's watching him carefully, his eyes never leaving Louis's face. Louis's just grateful that it's dark enough to obscure whatever expression he's got going on right now.

"You're right," he finally manages.

Harry nods slowly. "I won't judge you for your job if you don't judge me for mine. Deal?"

Harry sounds so genuine in that moment that Louis can't help but smile. "Deal," he says.

Harry smiles and holds out his hand and Louis laughs softly, shaking it to seal their pact.

Harry's grasp is firm, his palm warm against Louis's. Louis's mind flashes back to their last encounter for what feels like the millionth time. This time, however, it's innocent. This time, he remembers Harry clasping his hand in the backseat of the car and how comfortably their fingers had slotted together then.

He breathes deeply, realizing that they've stopped shaking and yet neither has let go. Louis's gaze moves up from their hands to find Harry's.

Harry smiles and Louis can't help but return it. He's rewarded then with the feeling of Harry's index finger lightly tracing shapes on his wrist.

"Oi! Get a room!" Niall calls out.

Louis jumps and his hand falls away from Harry's. He pulls his own hand to his chest almost protectively as giggles issue from the backseat. He'd somehow managed to forget they weren't alone.

He pokes his head around the seat and glowers at Niall.

"Piss off," he says, which only makes Niall cackle.

Louis flicks him off before turning back around in his seat. He glances over at Harry, but Harry's gaze is turned out the window. He's chewing absentmindedly on his finger and seems lost in thought. Louis sighs, directing his gaze out his own window.

Maybe it's for the best Niall interrupted. At least it gives Louis time to try and figure out what the hell is happening between him and Harry before they reach the party.

Unfortunately for Louis, by the time they pull up at the club, he's no closer to understanding things than he was before.

They all pile out of the car and Harry leads the way up, providing his name to the bouncer before they're waved inside.

There's a sign on the door indicating the club is closed for a private event which gives Louis a weird look into his currently altered reality.

Thankfully, the music is much better than the previous club he'd entered with Harry. There are still people everywhere, but he can hear the hum of conversation and occasional laughter over the upbeat tempo of the music.

They drop their coats off at the coat check before heading further into the party.

"Drinks?" Harry asks.

"Always," Niall replies.

Harry smirks slightly and leads the way to the bar. He manages to maneuver so he can lean on the bar and it's not long before a bartender makes her way over to take their orders.

Harry turns to Louis then. "Vodka Redbull?" he asks.

Louis nods and Harry carries on collecting orders, relaying them to the bartender one by one.

When they've all got drinks in hand, they attempt to find a place to sit, but the seating arrangements are severely lacking. The best they can do is a strip of wall they can gather near and be mostly out of the way.

Niall leans on the wall and Perrie automatically settles against him, wrapping her free arm around his waist while he drapes his arm around her shoulders. Louis feels a fondness tug at his heart for the pair.

He glances over at Harry then, almost on instinct, but Harry's watching Perrie and Niall wistfully. Harry swishes his tequila in his glass, taking a sip before speaking.

"How long have you two been together?" he asks.

"Almost five years now," Perrie says, grinning up at Niall. He kisses her forehead.

"How did it happen?"

"We were at a department store," Perrie says. "I picked up a red jumper of all things and at first, I thought it was unraveling. I put it back to grab another one and that's when I realized it was the string. I followed it... and there's Niall, watching footie on one of the wall tellys. He was so busy watching the game, he didn't even realize the string had connected," she laughs. "But when those bright blue eyes finally looked at me for the first time, I melted."

Niall laughs, squeezing her gently. "And I was far more interested in you than any footie match."

Perrie snickers. "If only that were still true."

"Oi!" Niall protests, but he's grinning.

"That's a cute story," Harry says. The sentiment is genuine, Louis thinks, but the smile that accompanies it seems forced.

"Thanks!" Perrie replies, smiling brightly.

Louis's heard the story a thousand times before, but for some reason, it feels different tonight. He feels lonely.

"What are your thoughts on soulmates, Louis?" Harry asks, snapping Louis out of his daze.

Louis blinks at him, not really sure how to respond. "I… don't know," he hears himself lie.

"Have you met yours yet?"

Louis shakes his head. "Have you?"

"Yeah. Couple times."

Something painful clenches in Louis's chest. "Do you not get along?"

Harry shrugs. "Not sure, to be honest. I'd like to believe so."

"Well…" Louis clears his throat, trying to keep his composure. He wonders how long Harry's known his soulmate, if the connection happened before or after the night they slept together. His cheeks are burning with the thought that he's been reading too much into a one night stand. "I hope it works out for you," he finishes lamely.

"Yeah. Me too," Harry says.

His gaze feels far too heavy and Louis finds he can't bear the weight of it.

"Excuse me," he says, not really sure what he plans to do. It's not like he knows anyone else at this party.

He turns and leaves the group, knocking back the rest of his drink as he goes. It's an excuse to head to the bar and grab another. This time, he orders a double.

He drinks it faster than he should but he's trying to blur out the thoughts fighting for space in his head. This is not the time or place for any sort of meltdown.

He orders a third glass - another double - and finally pulls himself away from the bar to seek out a quiet place to drink and drown out his thoughts.

Unfortunately, after a bit of dodging and weaving through a mess of people, he resigns himself to the fact that there's no real privacy to be had at a party. He finds a sliver of wall to tuck himself against and nurse his drink.

Despite his best attempts, his mind is filled with every encounter he's ever had with Harry. How he went from loathing Harry to thinking obsessively over their one real night together is beyond him. He wishes he understood it. Then, maybe, he could figure out how to make the thoughts go away and his life would be much easier for it.

His eyes scan over the party, not really seeing any of it and not really wanting to. He's not usually a mopey drunk and he's not a fan of it now, if he's being honest.

He's so lost in his own head that he doesn't realize someone's approached him until they speak up beside him.

"Hey," Harry says.

Louis startles slightly. "Hey," he replies.

"You disappeared." Harry says, leaning against the wall beside him.

"Wanted another drink." Louis holds up the glass in his hand as if to prove his point.

Harry arches an eyebrow. "You've been gone almost an hour."

Louis shrugs. "Got another one after that."

Harry eyes him skeptically. "What are you doing?"

"Thinking." He's been doing much less thinking since he'd started on his current glass, but Harry doesn't need to know that.

Harry nods a bit. He pulls his lower lip between his teeth, falling quiet. Louis takes a sip of his drink, shifting awkwardly on his feet.

"Have you really not met your soulmate?" Harry finally asks.

Louis glances over at him. "Nah. I don't care though. Never wanted one."

"You don't want one?" Harry's brow is furrowed now.

"My mum and dad were soulmates and they still divorced. Kinda lost faith in it pretty early." Louis knows the alcohol's loosening his tongue but he can't bring himself to care.

"I'm sorry," Harry says quietly.

Louis shrugs. "It is what it is."

Harry picks at his lip. "My parents weren't soulmates. They fell in love and decided to give it a go. Then, my mum met Robin, her actual soulmate. She tried so hard to make it work with my dad but she finally broke one night and told him about Robin and… he let her go."

Louis scrunches his nose. "Wait so your mum's soulmate broke your family apart and you still believe in soulmates?"

"Well… Yeah. It wasn't easy for any of them. My parents knew the risk when they got married."

Louis makes a face at that. He mulls his response over, swirling his drink in his glass.

"I don't want to be forced to love someone because of a piece of string," he says.

"I think it's romantic. The string brings you together because they're the perfect person for you to love."

Louis snorts. "Tell that to my parents. It's just a bit of string."

Harry frowns. He seems to assess Louis briefly before speaking. "Right… Well… I'll leave you to it then," he says, motioning to Louis's glass.

Louis raises it in a mock toast and Harry sighs, turning and heading off into the party.

Louis feels a tug at his left hand and looks down, afraid his string has chosen now of all times to connect, but it's still just a small, bright red strand wrapped around his finger.

He sighs, leaning his head back against the wall. He feels like the day it will connect is creeping closer and thinks what a cruel joke it would be if he meets that person through Harry.

He scrubs a hand over his face, trying to clear his thoughts. He supposes all he can do now is cut his losses and go home. He doesn't really enjoy the thought of moping about an empty flat, but it's better than moping about a crowded party. He's not really sure what he'd expected out of tonight but it had crashed and burned far too quickly.

He's not in the mood to finish his drink anymore so he peels himself off the wall, heading up to the bar to discard it before locating the coat check.

He doesn't text Perrie until he's outside.

_Heading home. Don't feel well._

He hits send and shoves his phone in his pocket. He doesn't want to think about it and he really doesn't want to talk about it. He just wants to get home and forget this night ever happened.

\-----

Louis lands a show on New Year's Eve. Despite the fact that it's still a shit pub, it's probably the biggest show he's ever booked. On a night like New Year's Eve, it's guaranteed to be packed. The best part is, there's a cover charge for the party and they'll give him a percentage. It's rare for him to get paid and this time, he didn't even have to ask.

He's some combination of nervous and excited and terrified and amazed and he's just glad Perrie and Niall have agreed to be there to support him.

The night of the show, the place is truly buzzing. It's got Louis on edge. He's the last performer of the night and it's finally about to be his turn. He's off to the side, tuning his guitar while he waits for the girl before him to wrap up her set.

It's then that he notices the string has appeared. He frowns, looking out over the sea of faces in the pub. The string hasn't connected, but he can't help feeling unsettled by it. His gaze drops back to his hand. Of all the nights for it to appear, this one really takes the cake.

He's brought back to reality as the performer finishes and the host climbs up on the makeshift stage they've set up for the show. Louis's pretty sure it's just a few wooden pallets stacked up and covered with a tarp but it's better than nothing.

He rocks back and forth on his feet, trying to push the string out of his mind. He waits patiently while the host takes a minute to promote his own small radio station and tries not to tense when he hears his own name announced. He makes his way up to the stage, taking his place at the mic.

Luckily, he spots Niall and Perrie pretty quickly. They're seated almost directly in front of him and when Perrie waves, he can't help but grin.

"Hello, everyone. 'm Louis Tomlinson. Some of you may remember me from my very ill-fated attempt on X Factor," Perrie and Niall cheer which makes Louis laugh. "Anyways… I have a couple songs of my own so I'll get to it."

Louis adjusts the strap of his guitar and begins playing. He focuses on the music and his friends instead of the overwhelming number of people crammed into such a small pub.

The set passes by in a bit of a blur and if Louis chokes up at the end when the crowd cheers for him, he'll never admit to it.

Perrie pulls him into a hug as soon as he leaves the stage.

"We're so proud of you, love," she says, kissing his cheek.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Thanks, Pez."

"You were great up there," Niall adds, clapping him on the shoulder as soon as Perrie releases him.

"Thank you. And thank you both for being here. It means the world to me," Louis admits.

"Well you know we wouldn't miss it for the world," Perrie says.

Louis scrubs a hand over the back of his neck, a blush coloring his cheeks. "I'm… uhm… gonna go stash my guitar. I'll be back."

"We'll be at the table," Niall says.

Louis nods. He weaves his way through the crowd and up to the bar. It's busy but he finally locates a manager to help him lock his guitar in a storeroom before he heads back to the table.

He's pleasantly surprised when a few people stop him along the way to compliment him and he's riding a bit of a high from it when he finally spies his friends again. He stops dead in his tracks when he realizes who they're standing with.

Harry's back is to him but when Perrie starts waving Louis over enthusiastically, Harry turns around, a shy smile on his lips.

Louis finally makes himself move forward, his throat constricting as he reaches the group.

"Hey," Harry says quietly.

"Hey," Louis replies. He's trying to fight back the white hot shame at the thought that Harry had actually seen his performance. He hopes by some miracle that Harry's only just arrived, but his next words dash those hopes instantly.

"You were great up there," Harry says.

Louis swallows hard. "Thanks."

Harry chews on his lip, gaze flicking over Louis's face. "Can I buy you a drink?"

Louis considers him for a moment. "Vodka Redbull."

"I remember," Harry says quietly. He slips past Louis and up to the bar.

Louis finally looks at his friends who are watching him expectantly.

"Why do I suddenly get the feeling you two had something to do with this?" He asks.

"Who? Us?" Perrie says, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Louis groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. "This is humiliating."

"Why?" Niall asks.

"We were on the same season of X Factor and now he's going on world tours and I'm still playing shit pubs."

"Aww, love, no!" Perrie says gently. "He loved your set. He was really impressed."

"I can't believe you invited him," Louis mutters.

"Oi. Shut up and enjoy yourself," Niall says. "This is your night and you've earned it."

"What he said," Perrie adds.

"I'm never speaking to either of you again," Louis says, which only makes them laugh.

They finally move to get settled at their table. Perrie and Niall take seats beside each other which leaves a spot open next to Louis.

Harry returns a moment later, glancing at Louis as he sets his drink in front of him before getting settled with his own.

Louis takes a sip of his drink, enjoying the initial burn of the vodka. He keeps his gaze fixed on the table, not really sure how to begin a conversation with a man he'd thought was done with him.

It's Harry who speaks up. "So… How have you been?" he asks.

Louis finally looks up at him. Harry's chewing on his lip and Louis decides to cut him some slack.

"Alright. Busy. You?"

"Alright. Just got back from Holmes Chapel yesterday."

Louis wonders if Harry came back just for his show but he dismisses the thought quickly.

"Did you have a good holiday?" He asks.

"I did, yeah. It's nice to get away from the pace of London sometimes. Did you make it home to Doncaster?"

Louis nods. "Got to spend a couple days there."

"That's nice. How's your family?"

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Big. Loud. Same as always."

Harry laughs softly.

"How's yours?" Louis asks.

"Good. Gemma sends her best along with her regrets that she couldn't be here. She's with her soulmate's family for the holidays."

Louis nods a bit. If he's being honest, he's relieved Gemma couldn't make it. He still can't figure out how she feels about him and it was embarrassing enough to realize Harry had been watching him. As it is, he's just glad he didn't know Harry was here until his set was over. He still wishes he could figure out why Harry even came.

He slides his glass back and forth between his hands. He can't help but feel annoyed that Perrie and Niall invited Harry. This was his night. He should be getting sloshed and celebrating his success. He supposes he can at least do one of those things, though that method didn't work out so well for him last time.

Still, he knocks back his drink and stands.

"Excuse me," he says, heading for the bar before anyone can stop him. Maybe he'll just stay there for a bit.

It takes him a few minutes to flag down the bartender and get another drink. Unfortunately, it's pretty cramped and he gets jostled out of the way almost as soon as his glass is in his hand. Staying isn't really an option, then.

He sighs and heads back towards the table, stopping before he reaches it when he realizes Harry is there alone. He's slouched in his seat and Louis finds himself wishing he could see his face to figure out what kind of situation he's about to walk into.

He looks around the pub, spotting Niall and Perrie off dancing. It's starting to feel like a setup.

He takes a deep breath before weaving his way through the crowd to the table. When he reaches it, he slams his glass down, causing Harry to jump.

"Why are you here?" He asks, frown on his lips.

Harry gazes up at him, wide-eyed. "What?" He swallows hard and Louis almost feels bad for him. Almost.

"You heard me."

Harry clears his throat, glancing around awkwardly. He shifts in his seat, rubbing his palms over his thighs.

"Can we... take this somewhere else?" He asks quietly.

Louis thinks it over. He doesn't want to cause a scene and a few people are already throwing glances their way.

"Fine," he says. He takes one final sip of his drink before leaving it on the table, turning to make his way back through the crowd. He hears the scrape of a chair behind him and assumes Harry's following him.

There's nowhere in the bar to go, so Louis heads outside. The cold bites into his skin almost immediately and he wishes he'd grabbed his jacket. It's too late now.

The sidewalk is a bit chaotic. There are multiple pubs, restaurants, and clubs throwing parties in the area and people are wandering aimlessly between them. The heavy foot traffic combined with the cars passing by don't afford anymore privacy than the pub did.

He thinks over his options, then ducks into the alley between the pub and the building beside it, hoping the darkness can at least conceal them from prying eyes.

He finally turns to look at Harry, annoyed that the dark also means he can't get a full read on his facial expression. Harry's hunched into himself, but Louis's not sure if that can be attributed to nerves or to the fact that it's really fucking cold.

"So… Why are you here?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

Harry looks away, speaking quietly. "Perrie told Gemma. Gemma told me. I wanted to see you perform."

"Why?" Louis presses.

Harry shrugs. "I think you're really good. I wanted to support you."

Louis snorts. "Bullshit."

Harry frowns, finally looking at him again. "What?"

"I said 'bullshit'," Louis repeats, glaring at him. "I haven't heard from you in weeks and suddenly you show up out of the blue and uninvited to my show because you wanted to see me perform?"

"I already told you Perrie invited me," Harry snaps. He's drawn himself up to his full height now and Louis's never been so annoyed by their height difference.

"I didn't invite you and it's my show," he snarls. He's not even sure why he's so frustrated but he refuses to back down now. "Why are you here?"

"Damn you, Louis Tomlinson," Harry growls. His hands fist in Louis's shirt and before Louis can react, his back hits the wall and Harry's lips are attacking his.

Louis moans. He grabs Harry, pulling him closer until there's no space between them. One of Harry's hands braces against the wall. The other buries in the back of Louis's hair, keeping his head cradled away from the wall.

Harry nips at his lips and Louis opens his mouth, another moan escaping him as Harry slides his tongue in.

Louis feels like his entire body is on fire and it's the most alive he's felt since their last encounter. He gives a tentative thrust with his hips and Harry rewards him with a hard grind against him.

He breaks the kiss, trailing his lips down along Harry's jaw, then his neck, enjoying Harry's soft sighs in response. He lifts a hand, shoving the collar of Harry's shirt out of the way so he can bite at his shoulder.

Harry's hips jerk and Louis can tell he's getting hard. He feels his own cock start to respond.

He freezes, panting heavily as he allows himself to crash back to reality. They are still standing in a dodgy back alley after all.

For a moment, he just stays there, face buried in Harry's shoulder, lips still pressed to Harry's skin. He can just taste the salt where Harry's begun to sweat.

Harry nuzzles into his neck and Louis feels his arms start to slip behind his back. He allows Harry to pull him closer, hugging him tightly.

Louis can vaguely hear the hustle and bustle of the street beyond, the happy chatter of groups of friends, the low whoosh of traffic. He focuses his attention on the sound of Harry's soft, steady breaths and uses that to anchor himself.

"Fuck," he breathes against Harry's skin, pressing a kiss there. He feels Harry shiver in response. He moves a hand up to card his fingers through Harry's hair and Harry squeezes him tighter.

"We should get back inside," Louis says.

Harry sighs. "Yeah."

It takes another minute for them to actually pull apart. Louis watches as Harry attempts to straighten himself up a bit, tugging his shirt back into place and running his fingers through his hair.

Harry seems to sense he's being watched because he stills, gazing at Louis.

"What?" he asks.

Louis feels his cheeks heating up and he's glad his blush is hidden in the darkness.

"Nothing," he says, looking away.

He hears Harry shift and then there's a hand on his chin, tilting his face up. Harry's kiss is firm, a reminder and a promise.

Louis sighs as he pulls away again. Harry smiles and he can't help but smile back. He feels Harry's fingers slide against his own as Harry takes his hand.

He allows Harry to pull him back down the alley, blinking as his eyes adjust to the streetlights.

They head back into the pub, showing the bouncer their wristbands for reentry. Harry keeps a tight hold on his hand as they weave through clusters of people. He stops at the edge of the dance floor and turns to Louis.

"Wanna dance?" He asks.

Louis nods and Harry grins, leading him to a clear spot towards the middle. Harry's hands rest on his waist as Louis drapes his arms over his shoulders.

They settle into a rhythm, a slow, easy grind to the remixed pop song playing over the speakers. Harry's eyes find Louis's and Louis allows himself to appreciate how lovely they are, a light green softened further by the warmth Louis finds in them now.

Louis smiles, pleased when Harry matches it.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Fuck, Harry, could you stop being so damn pretty for five minutes?"

A blush colors Harry's cheeks and he laughs softly, gaze dropping briefly before his eyes meet Louis's again.

"I'll stop if you do," he says.

Louis snickers. "By that logic, you should have stopped a long time ago."

"Heyyyyy," Harry says. "I think you're pretty." His lips tilt up into a smirk and Louis giggles.

"You're ridiculous."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Louis laughs. Harry leans his head down to press their foreheads together and Louis shuts his eyes, feeling Harry's nose brush lightly against his.

"Will you come back to my place later?" Harry asks, voice low.

It sends a shiver down Louis's spine. "God, yes."

He feels Harry's hands squeeze his hips in response and thrills at the heat radiating from his palms. He brings one of his hands up, carding his fingers through Harry's hair.

Harry finally lifts his head again and Louis opens his eyes, meeting Harry's gaze.

"You were really good tonight, you know," Harry says.

Louis feels a blush creep over his cheeks. "Thank you."

"Do you have any more shows planned?"

"Not yet." Louis glances away, unable to shake his insecurity.

"Will you let me know when you do?" There's a timidity to Harry's voice that brings Louis's eyes back to him.

He swallows hard. "Yeah. Alright."

Harry's smile is worth the slight tinge of panic that runs through Louis at the thought of knowingly performing in front of Harry.

The music fades then and they pause, straightening up without letting go of each other.

The host's voice comes on over the speakers. "This is your one minute warning, everybody. It's one minute til midnight! You know what that means... If you haven't found someone to kiss, this is your last chance!"

Harry smirks and Louis can't help but laugh.

Harry pulls away slowly. "Come with me," he says.

Louis's brow furrows but he nods. Harry takes his hand, gently tugging him through the crowd until they're safely tucked in the small hallway that leads to the kitchen. It's quiet now as everyone waits to ring in the new year.

Harry leans against the wall, pulling Louis into his arms. Louis grins, wrapping his arms around Harry's neck as Harry's hands rest on his back.

The host comes back over the speaker to start the countdown.

_Ten_

_Nine_

Louis knows what's coming and still, his heart pounds hard in his chest as he gazes up at Harry.

_Eight_

_Seven_

It feels different this time, wrapped in Harry's arms, hidden in their own little corner of the world.

_Six_

_Five_

Harry dips his head a little lower, smirk on his lips, and Louis suddenly knows what it means to swoon.

_Four_

_Three_

Louis feels like they're on the edge of a precipice and he's ready to fall.

_Two_

_One_

_HAPPY NEW YEAR!_

Harry captures Louis's lips as the place erupts in celebration. Louis sighs, eyes falling shut, allowing the noisy pub to fade into the background.

Harry's lips are soft, gentle. There's no urgency, only the two of them contained in this moment together.

Louis sighs into the kiss, feeling Harry squeeze him tighter in response.

When Harry finally pulls back from the kiss, he brushes his fingers over Louis's cheek.

"Happy New Year, Louis," he murmurs.

Louis smiles. "Happy New Year, Harry."

Harry grins, giving him one more quick kiss before his gaze is drawn to something over Louis's shoulder.

"Louis! Look!" His eyes are wide and bright, smile stretched across his face as he points somewhere behind Louis.

Harry loosens his grasp enough so Louis can turn. It takes him a moment to find the cause of Harry's excitement, but then he spots Niall in the crowd, kneeling in front of Perrie.

"YES!" Louis shouts, pumping his fist in the air as Perrie clearly nods her assent and Niall slips a ring on her finger.

He watches his friends kiss and he laughs with joy. It's a new beginning for everyone tonight.

He turns back to Harry, grinning up at him, thinking how lovely Harry looks as he smiles back. Louis lifts up on his toes to press a soft kiss to his lips, pleased with his freedom to do that.

"Shall we go congratulate them?" Harry asks as Louis pulls back.

"I'd love to," Louis says.

Harry grins, kissing his forehead before releasing him. He slides their fingers together, squeezing Louis's hand as they make their way towards Perrie and Niall.

At the moment, the pair is surrounded by strangers wishing them well but when Perrie spots Louis and Harry, she squeals and drags Niall with her to meet them halfway.

Louis can tell she's been crying as they get closer. Her eyes are still red-rimmed but they're shining with happiness.

"We're getting married!" Perrie says, holding up her hand to show off the ring.

Louis laughs, pulling her into a hug. "We saw. Congratulations, love." He says before letting go and moving on to Niall.

"Congrats, Nialler," he says, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Come here, you," Niall says, pulling him in for a hug as well. "You're my best man, yeah?

"I better fucking be," Louis says and Niall laughs.

When Niall releases him, Louis settles against Harry's side, watching as Niall wraps his arms around Perrie. Louis's filled with pure, blinding joy in that moment. He finished the last year off with his biggest show yet and started the new one kissing Harry. His best friends are getting married and they're the happiest he's ever seen them. For the first time in a long time, Louis sees a bright, clear future.

It's not long before they decide to head out. The party's winding down and they're all ready to be someplace much quieter.

Out on the sidewalk, Perrie turns to Louis with a knowing smile.

"Coming home?" she asks.

Louis blushes, glancing over at Harry. "Nah. Harry's invited me back to his place." He smirks then. "I don't want to hear you two going at it through the walls all night anyways."

"Hey!" Perrie squeals, swatting at him even as Niall cackles and grabs her from behind.

"Definitely best for you to stay away, Tommo. We're gonna do it in every room in the flat. Including yours," Niall declares proudly, pressing a kiss to Perrie's cheek.

Louis flicks him off, pleased when he feels Harry's arm slide possessively around his shoulders.

"Have a lovely time, you two," Harry says. "I'll take good care of Louis."

"I'm sure you will!" Niall says.

"Do you want us to take your guitar home for you?" Perrie asks, motioning to the case in Louis's hand.

"If you don't mind," Louis says, holding it out to her. "Thanks."

"Of course. Have fun, boys!" She says with a wink before allowing Niall to steer her away.

Louis chuckles, shaking his head. He feels Harry press a kiss to his temple and he turns to smile at him. Harry grins, kissing his forehead.

"I'll call us an uber," Harry says.

Louis nods and Harry slides his phone out of his pocket, punching in a few things before tucking it away again.

"Five minutes," he says.

"Sounds good." Louis lays his head on Harry's shoulder. "Thank you for coming to support me tonight. I've just realized I never said that."

He feels Harry nuzzle into his hair. "I'm glad I came."

Louis shivers as a breeze picks up, using it as an excuse to tuck himself into Harry. He feels Harry wrap him up in his arms, shielding him as much as possible.

They stay like that until the uber arrives. Harry confirms the information with the driver, then slides in, Louis following behind him.

Once they're settled, Harry reaches across the seat, laying his hand on Louis's thigh. Louis rests his hand on Harry's. He has to admit that he's reveling in the fact that Harry can't seem to keep his hands off him.

They pass under a streetlight then and the string on Louis's finger glows as if to taunt him. His hand clenches Harry's. He refuses to let a stupid piece of string mar what's shaping up to be a perfect night.

Harry rubs his thigh gently and the tension seeps out of Louis almost instantly. He rests his head back against the seat, turning to look at Harry.

Harry smiles and it takes no effort for Louis to smile back.

They stay quiet for the remainder of the drive, but it's a comfortable quiet. Louis's just content to be near Harry.

When they get out of the car, Harry leads the way inside. They remove their coats and shoes, setting everything aside carefully.

Harry takes Louis's hand when they're done, leading the way up to his bedroom. He turns on the light when they get there, shutting the door behind them before focusing his attention on Louis.

Louis feels his knees go weak as Harry moves closer.

"Please tell me you're a top," Harry murmurs, arms sliding around Louis's waist.

Louis can't help but laugh. "What would you do if I wasn't?" he asks.

"Be very very sad," Harry says, emphasizing it with an exaggerated pout.

Louis snickers, reaching around to grab Harry's arse. "Well lucky for you, I am a top."

Harry giggles mischievously. "Perfect," he says, kissing him as he rolls his hips against him.

Louis moans. "Fuck, Harry."

"Mm. Yes. That is the idea," Harry says.

Louis snorts. "That was terrible."

Harry grins. "Thank you!"

Louis swats his arse and Harry laughs, loud and high-pitched. It's ridiculous. It's also the best thing Louis's ever heard.

Harry's eyes are shining as he gazes down at Louis. Louis leans up, kissing the smile off his lips.

Harry pulls him closer. Louis moves his hands up, running them over Harry's back. Harry sighs into the kiss and Louis shivers at the sound.

He slides his hands back down to tug up on Harry's shirt and Harry lifts his arms, helping him slide it off and toss it aside.

Louis smirks, tracing his finger over the light bruise on Harry's shoulder from their tryst in the alley. He realizes Harry's watching him carefully so he leans down, pressing his lips against the bruise. He lets his tongue dart out and Harry's knees buckle. Louis catches him with a firm arm around his waist.

Louis trails his lips along Harry's collarbone, enjoying the heavy rise and fall of Harry's chest that lets him know just how much he's riling Harry up.

He finally lifts his head. Harry's pupils are blown wide. He leans up, kissing Harry deeply.

Harry moans softly. Louis rests his hands on Harry's hips, guiding him backwards towards the bed.

He breaks the kiss as his fingertips slide along Harry's skin, just above his jeans, hearing Harry's breath shudder.

Louis finds the button on his jeans, unbuttoning it and pulling the zipper down. Harry's eyelashes flutter. He can tell Harry's cock is straining against his briefs.

Louis moves a hand up, burying it in Harry's hair to drag him down for a kiss. It's messy and desperate and Louis wants more.

He starts tugging Harry's jeans down with his free hand. He struggles and Harry finally reaches down to help him, pulling his briefs off as well. He breaks the kiss to step out of them, slipping off his socks and leaving him completely naked.

Louis lets his gaze rove freely over Harry's long, lean form. He is without a doubt the most attractive person Louis has ever been with.

He swallows hard, finally meeting Harry's gaze again. He kisses him softly, gently pushing him until his legs hit the bed.

Harry gets the hint and sits down. He tugs Louis closer by his belt loops, his lips tilted in a smirk that Louis matches.

Louis brings his hands up to cup Harry's face, dragging him in for a kiss. Harry moans against his lips, tugging up on his shirt.

Louis lifts his arms, sliding it off. He gives Harry another quick kiss before stepping back to shed the rest of his clothes. He can feel Harry's eyes watching him the whole time and he finally stands naked in front of him with all the confidence he can muster. It's not like Harry hasn't seen it all already anyway.

Harry finally locks eyes with him again and he slides back on the bed until he's settled against the pillows, spreading his legs. Louis takes it as the invitation that it is and climbs on the bed, crawling up between Harry's legs.

He swoops down, kissing him deeply as he lowers his body on top of him. Harry's moan is positively filthy and Louis gasps against his lips.

Harry rolls his hips and Louis moves with him, desperate for the friction. He breaks the kiss to trail his lips over Harry's jaw and nip at his ear.

"Do you want me to fuck you?" He asks.

"Please," Harry practically whines, back arching off the bed.

"Where's the stuff?"

"Drawer," Harry says, pointing to the nightstand beside him.

Louis kisses his ear, enjoying the way it makes him shiver, before he pulls back.

He retrieves the condom and lube and settles between Harry's legs again.

He cracks open the lube, spreading it over his fingers before setting it aside. Harry's watching him carefully and Louis holds his gaze.

"Ready?" He asks.

Harry nods and Louis slides a finger inside him. Harry's head falls back. He presses down onto Louis's finger and Louis pumps it inside him, testing the stretch before adding another finger.

He knows he's found Harry's prostate when Harry's hips leave the bed, a loud moan escaping him. He rubs it again, watching Harry's fists clench in the sheets.

He presses a kiss to Harry's knee. His own cock is straining between his legs, ready to be inside Harry. He scissors his fingers, carefully sliding a third finger in.

"Louis… I need you…" Harry breathes, voice shaking.

"You sure?" Louis asks. He rubs his prostate and watches Harry's breath catch before he lets it out in a sharp exhale.

"Please!" he begs again.

Louis extracts his fingers, not missing the way Harry sighs at the loss. He grabs the condom, rolling it on, and coats himself with lube.  
He shudders. He's barely paid any attention to himself and he'll be lucky if he lasts more than five minutes inside Harry.

He shuffles forward, positioning himself carefully. He can sense Harry's watching him and he glances up, holding his gaze as he presses in.

Harry inhales sharply and Louis stills, letting him breathe out and relax before continuing until he's buried inside him.

Louis swallows hard. Harry reaches out a hand for him and Louis takes it, allowing himself to be pulled down. Harry's breath is shaky and Louis's not faring much better.

He twines their fingers together, pinning Harry's hand beside his head and clutching it tight, using it to ground himself as he begins to thrust inside him.

"Louis," Harry breathes out and Louis captures his lips in a kiss, swallowing Harry's moan.

He feels Harry's free hand come up, fingers digging into his back as their hips move together. Louis slides his tongue into Harry's mouth, moaning when Harry meets it with his own.

Louis picks up the pace of his hips and the bed rattles against the wall. He struggles for breath even as he tries to keep kissing Harry, just wanting to stay connected to him, surrounded by him.

Harry's breath is coming in short, quick bursts, and Louis can feel him shuddering beneath him.

He reaches down between them, wrapping his hand around Harry's cock. Harry breaks the kiss, throwing his head back with a loud moan. They lose their pace and Louis lets Harry settle before he starts moving inside him again, stroking his cock as he does.

He presses kisses over Harry's neck, nipping at his fluttering pulse.

"Louis!" Harry gasps and Louis knows it's a warning now.

He gives a firm tug on Harry's cock, matching it with a well-timed thrust and Harry cries out as he comes.

Louis gently strokes him through it, easing him down. He doesn't want to overwhelm him, so he slides out of him carefully, feeling Harry shiver beneath him.

He wipes his hand off on the sheets, resting his forehead against Harry's neck. He feels his own body rise and fall with each of Harry's breaths.

They lay there quietly and Louis just listens to the sound of Harry's breathing slowly returning to normal.

Harry's fingers run gently through his hair and Louis feels his body tingling, still on edge and fully hard, his cock trapped between them.

"Did you finish?" Harry asks.

"Nah," Louis says. "Wanted to let you enjoy yours."

Harry breathes out a laugh. "Fuck, you're perfect."

Louis feels his cheeks heating up with a blush. He presses a kiss to Harry's neck, feeling Harry squeeze the hand he's still holding.

"Shift onto your side. Let me take care of you," Harry murmurs.

Louis nods. He's forced to release Harry's hand as he slides off of him. Harry turns onto his side with him and when he lifts a hand to cup Louis's cheek, Louis nuzzles against it.

Harry kisses him softly, dropping his hand down between them. He gently rolls the condom off and Louis whimpers.

Harry takes Louis's cock in his hand, stroking him steadily. Louis matches his pace with his hips. He feels Harry's thumb circle the tip and a chill runs through his body.

Harry smirks, nipping at his lip. Louis lets out a soft moan and when Harry teases the head again, he finally comes, body shaking.

Harry wipes off his hand, then rests it on Louis's side. Louis buries his face in his neck, breathing hard and trying to orient himself again.

Harry's thumb gently traces circles on his skin and Louis shivers before relaxing into his touch.

"Mm," Louis hums. "Thank you."

Harry breathes out a laugh. "Happy to help."

Louis giggles softly, kissing his neck. "We should get cleaned up or we'll be gross in the morning."

Harry snorts. "Good idea."

Louis sighs softly, reluctant to leave the warmth of Harry's arms. He presses another kiss to his neck before pulling away gently. He meets Harry's gaze and smiles, watching Harry smile back.

"Christ, you're pretty," Louis says, giving him a quick kiss as Harry laughs against his lips.

"And you're good for my ego," Harry says.

Louis snickers, finally pulling himself out of bed. He knows Harry's watching him as he walks to the bathroom, but if there's one thing Louis's confident in, it's his fantastic arse.

He retrieves a couple washcloths from the cupboard, wetting them in the sink before returning to bed. He hands one to Harry and Harry sits up to clean himself off.

When they're done, Louis takes the cloths back to the bathroom, leaving them in the sink. Harry is settled back under the covers and Louis stares at him for a moment, marveling at the fact that a man like Harry really is waiting for him to come back to bed.

He shuts off the light and finally joins Harry again, pleased when Harry instantly cuddles into him. He hugs him tightly, feeling Harry tangle their legs together, his arm draping over Louis's waist.

Louis presses a kiss to the top of his head. It's not long before he falls asleep.

When Louis wakes in the morning, he can tell Harry's still fast asleep by the soft, steady puffs of breath he feels against his neck.

His mind replays the night before and if it weren't for the fact that Harry's still wrapped around him, he wouldn't believe it. Everything was almost too perfect.

His fingers trace idly over Harry's back. He can't help but wonder why Harry's so intent on being with him. He hasn't forgotten that Harry's already found his soulmate and seems to believe very strongly in the concept. It doesn't make sense for him to be here with Louis in this moment when he could be sharing it with his soulmate.

Louis lifts his hand, staring at the string that's still wrapped securely around his finger. Where the fuck is his own soulmate? He still hates the whole idea, but at this point, he just wants to get it over with so he can move on with his life. He's tired of the string continuing to make an appearance but not showing any signs of connecting. It's keeping him on edge.

He sighs, dropping his hand again, brushing his fingers through Harry's hair. When Harry nestles into him in his sleep, Louis feels like his heart is going to pound right out of his chest. He resolves to enjoy every second of his time with Harry while he can.

Harry wakes a little while later. He groans softly and Louis feels him shuffling in his arms, adjusting to get comfortable before he stills again.

"Morning," Harry mumbles from somewhere against Louis's neck.

"Morning," Louis says, squeezing him gently.

"Do you have to work today?" Harry asks.

"Not until this evening," Louis says.

"Good." Harry kisses his neck. "Shower, then breakfast?"

"Sounds lovely."

Harry finally lifts his head, kissing him softly. "I had fun last night."

Louis smiles. "Me too."

Harry grins, kissing him again.

They finally pull themselves out of bed a few minutes later, taking a quick shower before heading downstairs for breakfast.

Harry seems to enjoy cooking, so Louis sinks down at the table, sipping tea and flicking through his phone. It's then that the text from Lottie comes through.

_IS HARRY STYLES YOUR SOULMATE?!_

Louis stares at his phone for a long moment, rereading the text over and over until he's sure he's read it right.

 _The fuck you on about?_ He texts back.

He gets a link in response and he knows he's going to regret it before he even clicks it. Still, curiosity wins and he opens the article.

He finds their night at the pub laid out before him in a series of photographs. Someone had even managed to get a sneaky picture of their midnight kiss, which Louis finds far too invasive.

The entire article speculates on everything from Harry's past relationships to his behavior with Louis. The absolute kicker, though, is that they've already managed to properly identify Louis and he's mortified to find a youtube video of his X Factor audition attached. His stomach flips.

He opens the text conversation with his sister and punches out a quick message.

 _He's not my soulmate_ he sends before muting his notifications on his phone and setting it aside.

He buries his face in his hands. They probably should have been more careful at the pub, but he wasn't thinking. Famous Harry seems like a completely different person from the mostly naked Harry currently making him a proper fry-up.

"Louis?" Harry's voice breaks through his thoughts. Louis drops his hands and meets his gaze. Harry's brow is furrowed. "Everything alright?"

Louis sighs, trying to figure out how honest to be. "My sister texted. Wanted to know if we're soulmates. Seems someone was taking photos of us last night."

Harry's eyes widen slightly. Louis watches as his throat bobs. He looks as lost as Louis feels.

"What did you tell her?" Harry finally asks.

Louis shrugs. "I just told her we're not soulmates."

Harry nods a bit. He blinks for a moment, seeming to rein himself back in. Something crackles on the stove and he turns away to poke at it. Louis eyes him carefully, noting that his shoulders are still tense. He realizes then that if the story's hit the papers, Harry's real soulmate is bound to see it. Something heavy settles in Louis's stomach.

"I can leave," he says quietly.

Harry turns quickly. "What?"

"If this is a problem," he says, motioning between them, "I can go."

Harry tilts his head. "Why would it be a problem?"

Louis frowns. "I thought you'd already met your soulmate."

Harry stares at him for a long moment. "Right," he finally says."Right." It's Harry's turn to frown then and he jabs at their food with a bit more force than is probably necessary.

Louis stays where he is, not really sure what he's supposed to do. Funny how they'd had such an amazing night only to wake up and find themselves in the middle of whatever the fuck this is. Louis should have known it was too good to be true.

He sighs, shoving his chair back to stand. The noise makes Harry turn again.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Leaving?" Louis doesn't mean for it to come out as a question but he's not really all that confident in his decision.

"Why?" Harry's brow is furrowed again.

"Because you have a soulmate, Harry," Louis sighs.

Harry's frown deepens. "Just…" His voice catches and he clears his throat, looking away. "Let me worry about that," he says quietly. "Stay. Please."

Louis assesses him carefully, taking in the way he's now hunched in on himself. Louis could swear his eyes are a bit shiny and when Harry sniffles, it's all but confirmed.

Louis nods, settling back in his seat, pulling his chair back under the table. Harry finally looks at him again, giving a nod of his own before returning his attention to the stove.

Louis doesn't pick up his phone. He rests his chin in his hand, staring out the window, listening to the crackle of food frying and the scrape of the spatula against the pans.

When Harry finally finishes, he brings the plates to the table, setting Louis's in front of him slowly as if he were approaching a wild animal.

Louis looks up at him. Harry's eyes are wide and pleading, begging Louis to understand something he can't even fathom.

"Thank you," Louis says and Harry nods.

Harry takes a seat beside him and they begin eating in silence. Louis realizes then that he hasn't eaten since long before he went on stage the night before. He's ravenous now and he sighs softly as the first bite passes his lips.

He eats faster than he means to, but without conversation to distract him, food is all he has to focus on.

When they're done, he stands and starts helping Harry clean up. He feels Harry's eyes watching his every move before Harry finally speaks.

"You don't have to," he says, motioning to the pan in Louis's hand.

"It's the least I can do after you made all of this," Louis says.

Harry shrugs a bit. "I like cooking," he says. His gaze drops to the ground and he chews on his lip.

Louis swallows hard. He really doesn't want their morning to continue like this and if he's being completely honest, he doesn't want this to be the last time he sees Harry.

He sets the pan aside and moves toward Harry slowly. Harry lifts his gaze, watching him approach.

Louis stops just in front of him. He reaches up a hand, cupping Harry's cheek before leaning in to kiss him softly.

Harry sighs against his lips and Louis takes that as encouragement, stepping forward to wrap his arms around Harry's neck, pleased when Harry's arms slide around his waist.

Louis breaks the kiss slowly, staying wrapped up in Harry.

"Thank you for breakfast," he says, because it's the simplest, easiest thing he can possibly say right now.

Harry breathes out a laugh. "You're welcome," he says.

Louis smiles. "Let's finish getting cleaned up and then have a cuddle on the couch until I have to leave, yeah?"

"Yeah," Harry says.

Louis gives him a quick kiss before pulling away to clear up the dishes. Harry still seems a bit lost in his own head and Louis wishes he could read his mind right now.

It's a small comfort when they finally make it to the couch and Harry nestles against him, draping an arm over him.

They watch tv quietly, though Louis has no idea what's even on because he can't seem to shut his mind off enough to focus on it. He knows that by not calling this off now, he's setting himself up for disaster. The thing is, if Harry's going to let him stick around, Louis's going to stay. He's not the one who believes in this soulmate bullshit anyway.

Louis finally has to leave around one to make it to the theater on time. He has to text Niall to meet him there with his uniform because there's no way he can get home to get changed.

Harry walks him to the door, a move that Louis finds oddly endearing.

Louis slips on his shoes and his coat before finally looking at Harry. Harry's watching him almost expectantly, though what he's waiting for, Louis can't say.

"So," Louis clears his throat. "I'll see you around then?"

Harry's face falls. "Yeah," he says quietly.

Louis steps forward, kissing him softly. Harry's breath shudders and Louis feels something inside him clench.

When he pulls back, he meets Harry's gaze carefully.

"Text me?" He says.

Harry's eyes flick back and forth, seeming to search Louis's face. He must find what he's looking for because he nods slowly.

Louis nods and kisses him again, noticing that Harry grips him just a little bit tighter.

He has to force himself to pull away, breathing out a soft laugh when he does.

"I… uhm… I should go. I can't be late."

"Okay," Harry says, voice quiet.

Louis turns and finally leaves, heading up the street towards the nearest tube station. He wants to turn around, wants to know if Harry's watching him leave, but he can't bring himself to do it. He's not a pining maiden in a romance novel and, if he's being quite honest, it would hurt too much if he turned around to find a closed door instead.

He glances down at his left hand, almost on instinct. The red string is still stubbornly attached. It's going to be a long day.

\-----

It only takes Harry two days to text him. Louis spends most of that time trying to convince himself that if he doesn't hear from him, he'll survive. He's relieved he doesn't actually have to find out if that's true.

 _Are you busy tomorrow?_ Harry's text reads.

_I work until 11_

_Come over after then_

_You sure?_

_Yes. Come over._

_Ok._

Louis can't help but feel like he's just received a pre-arranged booty call. Still, he's excited at the prospect of seeing Harry, regardless of the circumstances.

Harry sends him his address towards the end of his shift. Louis's just glad it was a busy night and he had enough to distract him from fretting over Harry.

He texts Harry as he's leaving to let him know he's on his way.

The string appears while he's on the tube and Louis wants nothing more than to claw it off. He sits on his hand, deciding to ignore it, because there's not really anything else he can do.

When he reaches Harry's, he texts to let him know he's outside. The door opens a moment later and the first thought that pops into Louis's head is 'soft'.

Harry's in trackies and a worn tee, hair a mess of unkempt curls. Louis really wants to hug him.

He steps inside and Harry shuts the door behind him. Louis sheds his coat and Harry reaches out to take it, hanging it in the closet as Louis slides off his shoes.

Louis sets them aside, finally turning to look at Harry. Harry scrubs a hand over the back of his neck.

"Are you hungry or anything?" he asks.

The question surprises Louis. "No. I'm fine. Thank you."

Harry nods, seeming to assess him. "Do you want to watch a movie?"

Louis's brow furrows. "Harry, what is this?"

Harry freezes. His eyes dart over the room before he takes in a deep breath and finally looks at Louis again.

"I was going to ask you on a proper date but… you had to work. I just wanted to see you." Harry pulls his lower lip into his mouth, chewing on it nervously.

Louis's stomach swoops. To think he'd thought this was a booty call. His mind races over a thousand different things, not the least of which is the fact that Harry has a soulmate. Still, he can't get over the purity of Harry's intentions and he finds that he really just wants to spend time with Harry too.

He swallows hard. "Ok. We can watch a movie," he says with all the confidence he can muster.

He watches the tension seep out of Harry's body as his shoulders relax, teeth finally letting go of his lip.

Harry leads the way to the couch and takes a seat at one end. Louis thinks it over, sinking down at the opposite end so he can settle against the corner. He senses Harry watching him, noting the disappointment on his face. Louis lifts his arm in an invitation and Harry scoots over, curling into his side.

Louis lightly traces his fingers up and down his arm as Harry clicks through Netflix, searching for a movie.

"Do you have a preference?" Harry asks.

"Nah. You pick," Louis says.

Harry finally decides on some random romcom and sets the remote aside. He reaches for Louis's free hand and plays gently with his fingers. Louis likes the softness of his touch and the way Harry seems comfortable with it, despite whatever weird tension there is between them at the moment.

Louis feels himself start to relax, finding his fingers responding lightly to Harry's. After a few minutes, he can't help himself and he locks Harry's fingers in his, starting a thumb war.

He hears Harry giggle and finds the sound fulfilling. He focuses all of his attention on their battle but when he looks down and sees the determination etched in Harry's brow, he's overwhelmed by how cute it is and he eases back just the slightest. Harry successfully pins his thumb and Louis is rewarded for it when Harry looks up at him with a wide grin.

Louis laughs, leaning down to kiss it off his lips. He slips his hand free from Harry's grasp so he can hold Harry's hand properly, giving it a light squeeze.

It's Harry who breaks the kiss, brushing their noses together before finally cuddling up to Louis again.

Louis presses a kiss to the top of his head and Harry responds by kissing the back of Louis's hand. Louis rests his head against Harry's and focuses his attention on the movie.

When the movie ends, Harry powers off the telly and nuzzles his face into Louis's chest.

"Are you staying over?" Harry asks.

"Do you want me to?"

Louis feels Harry nod against him.

"Ok. I'll stay," Louis says.

Harry hugs him briefly before sliding out of his arms to sit up. He yawns, stretching, then stands. He gazes at Louis, holding out his hand.

Louis takes it, allowing Harry to pull him up. He kisses him softly, pleased with the smile Harry has when he pulls back.

Harry leads the way up to the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

"Do you need pajamas?" Harry asks.

Louis thinks over his options. "I… normally sleep in my pants," he admits.

Harry nods a bit. A small smirk forms on his lips. "I normally sleep naked."

Louis snorts. "I mean… I won't object."

Harry snickers and pulls away from him to start getting ready for bed.

"You can lay your clothes on the dresser if you don't want them to get wrinkled," he says.

"Thanks," Louis says.

He sheds his clothes, watching as Harry does the same. True to his word, Harry is naked as he slides under the covers. Louis swallows hard, deciding he might as well just go for it. He sets his briefs aside with the rest of his clothes and slips into bed with Harry.

Harry cuddles up to him immediately and Louis wraps his arms around him.

"Night, Harry," he murmurs, kissing the top of his head.

"Night, Louis," Harry replies, kissing his neck.

Louis falls asleep within minutes.

When Louis wakes up in the morning, he can tell Harry's already awake from the shapes he feels Harry tracing over his back.

He squeezes Harry gently, stroking his fingers through his hair.

"Morning," he says.

"Morning," Harry replies. His hands stop and he clings to Louis instead, nuzzling his neck.

Louis laughs softly, kissing the top of his head. "Your hair tickles."

"Sorry," Harry mumbles.

"It's fine." He trails his fingers up and down Harry's back. "I like that you're cuddly."

He feels Harry kiss his neck.

"Do you work tonight?" Harry asks.

"Unfortunately."

Harry sighs softly. "When can I see you again?"

"Whenever you want," Louis replies quietly.

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow," Louis confirms.

\-----

Louis returns the following night after work. The string appears again on his way to Harry's and he decides then that he's just going to have to accept it as part of whatever this is between him and Harry. Maybe it's his reminder that none of this is permanent, that he shouldn't allow himself to fall too deeply. He thinks it might already be too late for that.

Harry's left the door unlocked for him. It feels strangely intimate to just walk into his house unannounced, despite the fact that Harry is fully aware he's coming.

Harry's lying on the couch, watching telly, and he tilts his head back to smile at Louis as he enters.

"Hey," he says.

"Hey," Louis replies.

He sheds his coat and shoes and wanders over to the couch, standing behind Harry's head. He leans down, kissing him upside down, delighting at the sound of Harry's giggle against his lips.

He pulls back just enough to gaze at him, brushing his fingers through Harry's hair.

"Scoot a bit. Let me get behind you," he says.

Harry grins and shifts to the edge of the couch. Louis walks around to the other end, sliding carefully up behind him. He tucks his knees behind Harry's, draping an arm over Harry's waist. Harry repositions himself to get comfortable, then grabs Louis's hand, cradling it against his chest.

Louis rests his head behind Harry's. He can't see the tv very well, but he doesn't even care. He's just content to be curled up with Harry.

"Louis," Harry's voice breaks through the darkness. "Louis." He feels a gentle nudge to his shoulder and finally realizes what's happening.

He opens his eyes slowly. Harry's turned to face him, his nose nearly touching Louis's.

"Sorry," Louis mumbles, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes.

Harry breathes out a laugh. "It's fine. Do you want to move upstairs?"

Louis nods but pulls Harry closer first, kissing him softly, because, well, he's right there and Louis can't resist.

He feels Harry smile against his lips and it encourages him. He nips at Harry's lips, enjoying the mischievous giggle it earns.

Harry shoves at his shoulder and Louis gets the hint, maneuvering carefully until Harry's on top of him. He moans as Harry grinds his hips down into him and he can tell Harry's cock is already getting hard. He feels his own body responding as he matches Harry's pace.

Harry groans, breaking the kiss to attack Louis's neck. Louis squirms beneath him, his whole body on fire.

"Fuck, Harry, I'm gonna come in my trousers if you're not careful," Louis whines.

Harry snickers. "I haven't made anyone do that since secondary," he says, nipping at Louis's neck.

"Don't you dare," Louis says, though any force behind it is lost in a moan as Harry sucks at his neck.

"Well if you don't want to come in your trousers and I don't want to make a mess on my couch, there's only one solution," Harry says.

"And what's that?"

Harry lifts his head, gazing down at Louis as his hand starts to slip between them. "I'll just have to give you a blowjob," he says as he rubs Louis's cock.

Louis groans, arching into his touch. "Please!"

Harry smirks, sliding down the couch. Louis drops one of his feet down to the floor to give him more room as he settles between his legs.

Harry unbuttons and unzips his trousers, tugging them down just enough to free Louis's cock from his briefs.

Harry slides his tongue along the underside of his cock and Louis's hips lift off the couch. Harry presses them back down with his free hand as he kisses along Louis's length. He stops at the tip, licking at the bit of precome leaking from it and Louis moans loudly.

"Harry!" His hands bury in Harry's hair, needing something to cling to.

Harry swallows him and Louis's whole body shudders, a whine leaving his throat as his head falls back, eyes slipping shut.

Harry drags his mouth back up slowly and Louis's fingers clench in his hair.

Harry teases his tongue over the head again. Louis's breath catches. Harry sucks at the tip, flicking his tongue over the slit in a way that makes Louis's toes curl.

Harry swallows him again and Louis comes, a loud moan escaping him.

He breathes heavily as Harry slides off of him. His eyes are still closed as he composes himself, but he can feel Harry gently tucking his cock back into his clothes.

Harry crawls back on top of him and Louis shivers, finally opening his eyes to gaze up at him.

"Imagine if the world knew what you could really do with that mouth," Louis says.

Harry giggles, leaning down to kiss him softly. "I prefer to keep it a hidden talent."

"I'm happy to attend every performance," Louis says and Harry laughs one of his surprised, high-pitched laughs that Louis adores.

Louis kisses him gently. "Do you want one?"

"Yes, please," Harry says.

Louis snorts. "So polite," he says and Harry giggles.

Louis kisses him, gently nudging his shoulder. It takes careful shifting to get Harry onto his back with Louis on top of him.

Louis crawls down the couch, positioning himself between Harry's legs. He tugs down his trackies along with his briefs, pleased to find Harry's already fully hard.

He wraps his hand around Harry's length and Harry's breath stutters. He leans down, trailing his lips over the head. Harry throws an arm over his eyes, his other hand clinging to the back of the couch.

Louis swallows him and Harry's hips buck up. Louis moans around his cock, thrilled with the shiver that runs through Harry's body.

He drags his tongue up as he pulls his mouth back up and Harry writhes beneath him.

Louis slides his lips off of him and hears Harry's soft groan of protest. He smirks to himself, leaning in to kiss along his length, teasing him with swift darts of his tongue.

Harry's shaking and Louis knows he's close by how tense his stomach is. He flicks his tongue over the tip of his cock, then swallows him quickly.

Harry comes almost immediately and Louis swallows it. He waits until Harry is finished before pulling back, wiping at his lips. He pulls Harry's briefs and trackies back up, then moves up his body. He crosses his arms against Harry's chest, settling his chin on them as Harry calms.

Harry drops his arm from his face, sliding both arms around Louis. When he brings a hand up to card his fingers through Louis's hair, Louis tilts his head into it.

Harry smiles softly. "I really really like you," he says quietly.

Louis snorts. "You're just saying that because I sucked you off," he teases, even as he feels butterflies in his stomach.

Harry pouts. "Am not."

Louis leans up, kissing the pout off his lips. "For the record, I really really like you too."

Harry beams.

\-----

They fall into a ritual. Louis spends most nights at Harry's. He's gotten used to everything from the presence of the string to being able to walk right into Harry's house and make himself comfortable.

A couple weeks pass and Louis finds himself with another gig booked at the pub he played for New Year's. He's positively buzzing when he arrives at Harry's that night.

Harry's not in the sitting room and the ground floor is completely dark. He sheds his things, heading up to Harry's room.

"Haz?" He calls out, mostly to avoid startling Harry.

"In here!" He hears Harry reply from the bathroom.

The door is cracked and Louis pushes it open, finding Harry relaxed in the tub. Harry grins at him, holding out a wet hand for him.

Louis wanders closer, taking Harry's hand and giving him a quick kiss.

"Almost done?" He asks.

"Just got in. Join me?"

Louis thinks it over and shrugs. "Yeah, alright."

He pulls back, shedding his clothes, not missing the way Harry watches his every move.

Harry scoots forward, allowing Louis to climb in behind him before settling against Louis's chest.

"It's a good thing your tub is obscenely large or your gangly limbs could never fit," Louis observes.

Harry giggles. "It was one of the many perks of this place." He kisses Louis's chest and Louis squeezes him gently.

"So… I have news," Louis says.

"Oh?" Harry tilts his head up to look at him and Louis leans forward to kiss his forehead.

"I have a gig," he says.

Harry grins, sitting up then to face him fully. "That's fantastic! Where? When?"

"Same pub as New Year's," he scrubs a hand over the back of his neck, feeling shy now. "Apparently I was a bit of a hit and they've gotten a few requests to have me back so… I'll be playing there a week from tomorrow."

Harry wraps him up in a hug then. "I'm so proud of you." He pulls back, chewing on his lip. "Is it ok if I come watch?"

Louis runs his hands over his back, taking in the earnestness of Harry's expression.

"Of course, Haz," he says, despite the nerves he can feel settling in his stomach.

Harry grins, kissing him deeply.

\-----

As it turns out, Louis spends the afternoon before the show with Harry anyway. He's almost never at his own flat and if a few of his things have migrated to Harry's the past few weeks, well then so be it. Harry doesn't seem to mind. He was the one who bought Louis a toothbrush to keep there.

They uber to the pub and Harry sits at a reserved table directly in front of the mic stand. There's no stage tonight, but Louis doesn't mind. He feels less conspicuous down on the floor.

Perrie and Niall arrive shortly after. Louis's off to the side, prepping for the show, and he watches as Harry greets the pair warmly. His smile is so genuine, Louis's heart surges with fondness. Harry even wraps Perrie up in a hug.

When it's finally time to go on, he feels the weight of Harry's gaze on him. In that moment, despite the fact that there's a decent crowd, it feels like Harry's the only one in the room.

Louis breathes deeply and begins singing. He can't help but find Harry's gaze and it nearly unravels him then and there.

Harry's leaning on his hand, eyes intently watching Louis. There's a small smile on his lips and he looks happy, genuinely pleased to be sitting there in that moment, listening to Louis sing.

Louis holds his gaze and Harry gives a small nod of encouragement. Louis finally has to look away, feeling like he's about to implode.

When his set ends, he can hear Harry clapping the loudest and he chokes up, saying his thanks to the crowd before moving to join his friends at their table.

Harry stands, pulling him in for a hug. "You were wonderful," he murmurs, kissing his temple.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Thanks," he says. He swallows back the sudden rush of emotion as Harry pulls away and he tries to school his expression into something carefully blank.

"Do you want a drink?" Harry asks as Louis occupies himself with tucking his guitar into its case.

"You don't have to," Louis says.

Harry shrugs. "I want to."

Louis thinks it over for a moment. "Alright."

Harry nods and heads off to grab drinks. Louis leans his guitar case against the table and sinks down in his chair.

"Thanks for coming, guys," he says, looking at Perrie and Niall.

"Of course," Perrie says. "You were great. Think this might have been one of your best nights yet."

Louis blushes. "Nah. Come off it."

"Think a certain someone might have had something to do with it?" Niall chimes in.

"Oi. Piss off," Louis says, flipping him the finger. It only makes Niall laugh and return the gesture.

"How have you been?" Perrie asks and Louis realizes then that he hasn't been home in almost a week.

"Good. Just… you know… working and hanging out at Harry's." He clears his throat awkwardly. "How's the wedding planning going?"

"Mum thinks she's found a venue! She toured it for us after we saw photos online and fell in love. It's available the date we need it so we're going up this weekend to see for ourselves."

Louis grins. "That's great, Pez."

Harry returns then, setting drinks on the table for everyone before taking a seat. Louis feels a warmth run through him just having Harry there beside him again.

He senses something off in that moment and glances around the room, realizing people are staring. It's then that he remembers this is his first public outing with Harry since New Year's and a cold hard reality slaps him in the face as he takes in the demographics of the room. The faces staring back are mostly young women, a far cry from the diverse crowd at New Year's. They're not here for Louis, he realizes. They're here for the man beside him.

Louis's stomach drops, blood rushing to his cheeks in shame.

"Louis? Are you alright?" He hears Harry speak up beside him.

"I need some air," Louis mumbles. He shoves his chair back, making a beeline for the door, ignoring the curious stares he can feel boring holes in his back.

He realizes once he's outside that it might have been a bad idea in terms of privacy and all he can do is duck down the same alley Harry had kissed him in.

He leans over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He feels foolish for not realizing it sooner, but he'd been so wrapped up in his own nerves that nothing beyond Harry had even registered with him until the set was over.

He hears footsteps approaching and looks up to find Harry walking towards him. There's concern etched in his brow as he stops and stands in front of Louis. Louis swallows hard, straightening up to meet his gaze.

"What's wrong?" Harry asks.

"It's nothing," Louis says. There's no way to explain it to Harry without completely humiliating himself. He feels his cheeks burn again at the thought.

"It's not nothing," Harry says. "Talk to me."

Louis breathes in deeply, looking away. "I wasn't invited back because of me."

"You're not making any sense."

Louis sighs. "I was invited back because of you. They wanted me to come back because they were hoping you'd come back with me."

There's a pause long enough that Louis can't help but look at Harry, just wanting some insight into what he's thinking.

Harry's frowning but there's a firmness to his gaze when Louis finally meets it.

"Wait here," he says before he turns and hurries down the alley.

Louis frowns, just watching him go. He crosses his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall.

Harry returns a couple minutes later, phone clutched in his hand. He holds it out to Louis.

"Look," he says.

"What?" Louis's brow furrows.

"Just look," Harry holds his phone out more forcefully and Louis finally takes it.

It's open to Twitter and he's surprised to see his name and a video of his performance staring back at him from the first tweet on the page.

_So remember Louis Tomlinson from @Harry_Styles's season of X Factor? How have we been sleeping on this TALENT?!_

The video already has over ten thousand retweets and twenty thousand likes.

Louis scrolls down the page, finding more comments.

_Someone give this man an album._

_Someone give this man a TOUR._

_@Harry_Styles so he's your opener, right?_

On and on he scrolls, through largely supportive comments. He feels himself tearing up and chokes it back. He holds Harry's phone out to him, unable to meet his gaze.

Harry tucks his phone in his pocket.

"It doesn't matter how they found you," Harry says gently. "It doesn't even matter that they probably were hoping to get a glimpse of me. All that matters is that they've found you and they're supportive."

Louis sniffles and Harry pulls him into his arms, hugging him tightly. Louis wraps his arms around him, burying his face in his shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you, Louis. Let my name get you the attention you deserve."

"I don't want to use you," Louis mumbles.

Harry shrugs. "You didn't do it on purpose." He feels Harry's fingers stroke through his hair and Harry presses a kiss to his temple. "Whatever happens now, it's still your songs that got their attention."

Louis sniffles again, trying to regain his composure.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Harry asks.

Louis breathes in deeply. "I'm dating a world famous popstar and my song is going viral on the internet."

Harry laughs softly. "No one can say your life is boring."

Louis breathes out a laugh. He finally lifts his head to gaze at Harry.

"Thank you for being here tonight and supporting me," he says quietly.

Harry smiles, kissing Louis's forehead. "I will come to every show I possibly can." He smirks as he pulls back. "Since you're going viral and all, I need to lay claim to my number one fan status before someone else tries to take it."

Louis giggles. "You're ridiculous."

Harry grins, leaning in to kiss him softly. Louis melts against him, just marveling at how wonderful Harry really is. He has no idea what's in store for them or his career, but in this moment, he decides not to worry about it and to focus instead on the beautiful man in his arms.

\-----

Harry's birthday is a week later and Louis is intent on spoiling the fuck out of him.

He wakes before Harry and thinks about running down to make breakfast, but Harry's wrapped tightly around him and Louis doesn't want to disturb him. He brushes his fingers gently through Harry's hair, enjoying the steady rise and fall of Harry's chest against him.

Harry wakes a few minutes later, shuffling in his arms. He groans softly and his grasp on Louis tightens.

"Morning," Harry mumbles.

"Morning, birthday boy," Louis says, kissing the top of his head.

Harry giggles, lifting his head and resting it on the pillow beside Louis's. His smile is soft and easy. Louis is so unbelievably fond of him.

"Happy birthday," Louis says. "I'm glad you were born."

Harry blushes. "Thank you."

"What do you want to do today?"

Harry shrugs. "Didn't really have any plans."

Louis smirks, "May I make a suggestion?"

Harry arches an eyebrow. "Go on."

Louis slides his hands down Harry's back, enjoying the way Harry shivers before settling into his touch.

"I vote we spend the day in bed, starting with an epic birthday shag." He squeezes Harry's arse to emphasize his point and Harry moans.

"Yes. Birthday shag," Harry breathes out.

Louis grins, leaning in and kissing him. He maneuvers so he's on top of Harry, sliding his hand down between them. He wraps it around Harry's cock and strokes him steadily. Harry gasps, breaking the kiss as he arches into Louis's touch.

Louis kisses down his neck, sucking lightly at his pulse. When Harry writhes beneath him, Louis sucks harder, intent on marking him.

Harry moans loudly and Louis can tell he's fully hard now. He stops sucking at his neck, soothing the mark with his tongue before pressing a kiss to it.

Louis lifts his head to gaze at Harry. Harry's panting softly. His pupils are blown, cheeks flushed a lovely shade of pink. Louis's struck by just how beautiful he always is, no matter how disheveled he may be.

Louis kisses him gently. He teases his thumb over the tip of Harry's cock and Harry's breath stutters.

"Do you want me inside you?" Louis asks.

Harry nods. "Please."

Louis kisses him again before pulling away to grab the supplies from the drawer. He settles between Harry's legs and coats his fingers with lube.

He slides a finger in and Harry moans, head falling back as he presses down against Louis's hand. Louis carefully slips a second finger in and pumps steadily inside him. He finds Harry's prostate, rubbing it swiftly. Harry gasps as his fingers clench in the sheets. Louis does it again, enjoying the moan that bursts from Harry's lips.

Louis slips a third finger in, spreading him open. Harry tips his head up.

"Louis, I need you," he begs.

Louis swallows hard and nods. He extracts his fingers, not missing the way Harry shivers at the loss.

Louis slides the condom on, coating himself in lube before getting into position. He steadies himself with a hand on Harry's knee as he presses inside him.

Harry rocks his hips down and Louis moans at the friction against his cock. He leans forward, kissing Harry deeply as they fall into a rhythm. Harry wraps his arms and legs around Louis, trapping him against him.

Louis reaches down between them, wrapping his hand around Harry's cock to stroke him in time with their movements. Harry's breath catches briefly in his throat before he lets it out in a deep sigh.

"Louis," he says, kissing him again.

Louis struggles for breath, panting against Harry's lips as he moves faster inside him. He can just make out the tilt of a smile on Harry's lips and it causes something to flutter in his chest.

Louis feels his body beginning to shake and knows he's close.

"Harry… gonna…" he warns.

He loses his pace as he feels his orgasm start to wash over him. He continues to thrust inside Harry until he finally can't concentrate. His eyes clench shut as he comes and he collapses on top of Harry, unable to keep himself upright.

He feels Harry's fingers tracing shapes on his back and his whole body shivers.

He kisses Harry's shoulder, realizing then that Harry is still hard between them. He lifts up enough to wrap his hand around Harry's cock again. His eyes lock on Harry's, watching the way his face twists in pleasure as Louis strokes him. It only takes a few quick pulls for Harry to spill out between them.

Louis buries his face in his neck, kissing the mark he left earlier. He feels Harry squeeze him gently in response. They lay quietly as their breathing evens out and Louis feels his own body rise and fall against Harry's chest. Harry's still clinging to him with all of his limbs and Louis doesn't think he ever wants to leave his Harry cocoon.

After a few minutes, Harry finally speaks. "Lou?" he says quietly.

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "What for?"

"Being with me," Harry says.

Louis swallows hard. He lifts his head to gaze down at him, surprised to find that Harry's eyes are wet. Louis leans down to press their foreheads together and Harry sniffles softly.

"I should be thanking you," Louis says quietly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Harry starts crying then, eyes falling shut. Louis pulls back so he can cup his cheeks, brushing away his tears.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" He asks.

It takes a moment for Harry to open his eyes. "Louis…" he trails off, swallowing hard and looking away.

"What, Haz? Talk to me," Louis says gently.

Harry sucks in a shaky breath, returning his gaze to Louis. "Nothing. It's nothing."

"These tears aren't for nothing," Louis says. "What's going on?"

Harry's eyes dart between Louis's, assessing him. He finally seems to reach a conclusion because he speaks quietly, watching Louis intently.

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

Louis stills, heart pounding. "Harry…" He's not sure what he was expecting, but that wasn't it. A thousand thoughts battle for dominance in Louis's mind and he can't grasp onto a single one at the moment. Instead, he does the only thing he can do. He leans in, kissing Harry deeply.

Harry moans softly, clutching him tighter. Louis wants to get lost in Harry, just open him up and bury himself deep inside him. He kisses him desperately, over and over until neither of them can breathe.

When he finally pulls back, they're both panting. Harry's gazing up at him with wide eyes and Louis swallows hard.

"Yes," he says quietly. "I'll be your boyfriend."

Harry grins and pulls Louis down for another kiss. Louis doesn't even care that he hasn't caught his breath yet.

They detach a few minutes later, deciding a shower is a good idea to rid themselves of the stickiness and stench of sex. They nearly accomplish their goal but if Louis's being completely honest, it's his fault when it devolves into messy handjobs instead. Harry's his boyfriend and he's naked and wet. Louis's only human.

When they finally get cleaned off again, they realize they're starving. They slip on pants and head downstairs for a breakfast that Louis insists on making.

Louis's nowhere near skilled enough for a full fry-up like Harry can do, but he manages bacon, eggs, and toast and he's quite pleased with himself when nothing burns.

After breakfast, they settle in bed with Netflix. Harry sprawls over Louis, head against his chest, arms and legs draped haphazardly around him. Louis feels like he's been claimed by a human octopus. He rather likes it.

Around six, Louis extracts himself from Harry's arms and slides out of bed, earning him a pout.

"Where are you going?" Harry asks.

Louis leans down, kissing the pout from his lips. "I need to start dinner."

Harry arches an eyebrow. "First breakfast, now dinner? Since when do you cook?"

Louis shrugs. "Since I have a boyfriend to spoil."

Harry giggles. "Can I come down or do you want it to be a surprise?"

Louis smirks. "Like I could ever say no to you." Harry grins and Louis kisses him softly. "Let me get some things set up and I'll text you when you can come down."

"Okay," Harry says, settling back under the covers.

Louis tugs on comfortable clothes and heads downstairs, digging around in the kitchen. He'd stashed things for Harry the night before and he's just glad Harry's let him fetch anything they needed from the kitchen throughout the day.

He sets the table, placing a vase with wildflowers in the middle. He decides to leave his presents and cake hidden in the cupboard for the time being.

After he locates the ingredients for dinner, he texts Harry to let him know it's ok to come down. It's not long before he hears the bedroom door, followed by Harry's footsteps.

Louis's prepping dinner, so he doesn't notice at first that Harry's paused in the doorway until he speaks.

"Those are for me?" Harry asks, voice catching slightly.

Louis turns to look at him, finding his gaze fixed on the flowers. "Yeah," he says.

Harry swallows hard. "They're beautiful. Thank you," he says, finally taking a seat at the table.

"Course," Louis says. Harry's still staring at the flowers so Louis returns his attention to dinner.

They pass the time in relative silence. Louis's mostly trying to focus on not destroying anything.

He's relieved when he finishes and he carefully brings the dishes to the table, setting them down.

"Chicken, stuffed with mozzarella, wrapped in parma ham with a side of homemade mash," he says, presenting the meal to Harry.

Harry swallows hard. He sniffles softly which surprises Louis.

"It smells wonderful," Harry says, finally looking up at Louis. He's tearing up and it makes something catch in Louis's throat.

"Christ, Harold, don't get emotional on me now or we'll never make it through the evening." Louis walks around to his side of the table, wrapping him up in a hug.

Harry buries his face in Louis's shoulder. "Thank you for dinner," he mumbles.

Louis snorts. "Don't thank me until you've tried it. Could be shit."

Harry laughs. "It won't be."

Louis kisses the top of his head, finally pulling away. "We'll see. Let's eat. I'm starving because someone gave me a workout today."

Harry giggles. "Day's not over yet."

Louis smirks. "Is that a promise?" He asks, which makes Harry laugh again.

Louis serves them both before taking a seat. He refuses to admit that he's nervous as Harry cuts into his chicken and takes his first bite.

Harry grins. "It's fantastic," he says.

Louis laughs. "Oh come off it."

"I mean it!" Harry insists. "You did good."

Louis giggles as he cuts into his own chicken. "If you say so."

Louis takes a bite and has to admit, it's not terrible. The chicken's a little dry and the mash could be a little more mashed but for his first homemade dinner, it's not a failure. He's just relieved that Harry genuinely seems to enjoy it.

When they're finished, Louis clears everything away, storing the leftovers in the fridge and leaving the dishes to soak in the sink.

As he turns back to Harry, Harry holds his arms out and Louis wanders over, straddling his lap, allowing Harry to cuddle into him.

"Thank you," Harry says.

"You're welcome," Louis replies.

Harry tilts his head up then, leaning in to kiss him. Harry's normally pretty affectionate but Louis's pleased that he seems to be even more so today.

When Harry pulls back, Louis brushes their noses together. Harry laughs and Louis smiles softly.

Harry's eyes are bright to match his grin and Louis thinks he's never looked as beautiful as he does in this moment. He's pretty sure he grows more fond of Harry as the days pass.

He gives him another quick kiss because he can't resist.

"So," he says as he finally pulls back. "Cake now or later?"

Harry's eyes light up. "There's cake?!"

Louis raises an eyebrow. "It's your birthday. Of course there's cake!"

"Cake now!" Harry says and Louis laughs.

Louis stands and goes to the cabinet, turning back to Harry before he opens it.

"Close your eyes."

Harry arches an eyebrow.

"Just do it," Louis insists.

Harry giggles and puts a hand over his eyes. Louis checks to make sure he's not peeking before pulling the cake and presents out of the cupboard.

He brings the presents to the table first, setting them out. Harry's hand twitches.

"No peeking!" Louis snaps at him which only makes Harry laugh again.

Louis smirks to himself, going back to the cake. He sets a few candles in it and lights them, carrying the cake carefully to the table.

"Okay, you can look," he says.

Harry drops his hand and grins.

"Happy birthday, Haz," Louis says. "Make a wish?"

Harry seems to think for a moment before leaning forward to blow out the candles.

Louis grins, setting the cake down. He retrieves plates and utensils, cutting them each a slice and sinking down to eat.

"This is really good cake," Harry says.

Louis chuckles. "Niall recommended the bakery. Declared them the best cakes this side of London and if there's anything that man knows, it's food."

Harry laughs. "Please be sure to pass along my thanks then."

They finish up their cake and Louis clears everything away. As he's putting their plates in the dishwasher, he hears the crinkling of wrapping paper.

"Oi!" He turns to look at Harry. "Patience is a virtue."

Harry smirks. "I have more than enough other virtues to make up for my lack of patience."

Louis snickers. "A gorgeous cock doesn't count as a virtue, Harold."

Harry laughs, loud and surprised, and it warms something in Louis to hear it.

Louis finishes cleaning up and Harry waits until he's seated again before tearing into his first present.

Harry arches an eyebrow as he pulls out the Rovers shirt.

Louis scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. "So… uhm… I'm glad you asked me to be your boyfriend because I was planning to ask you to be my date for Perrie and Niall's wedding. They wanna have it in Doncaster. Figured we might catch a game while we're there and no boyfriend of mine is wearing the wrong colors."

"Louis!" Harry sets the shirt aside, holding out his arms.

Louis breathes out a laugh and slides onto Harry's lap, wrapping him up in a hug.

"I'll wear it proudly," Harry promises, kissing his shoulder.

Louis giggles mischievously. "Maybe we can give it a test run tonight."

Harry snorts. "Pass me the other present, you perv."

Louis laughs and leans back, snatching the present off the table and handing it to Harry.

Harry pulls away just enough to rip it open and his eyes widen slightly as he extracts the framed photo. It's their first together, the one they'd taken at the meet & greet.

Harry blinks at it before meeting Louis's gaze. "You kept the photo all this time?"

Louis shrugs. "It didn't feel right to delete it. Guess my instinct was correct."

Harry sets the frame aside and hugs him tightly again. He sniffles softly, burying his face in Louis's shoulder.

Louis squeezes him gently, brushing his fingers through his hair.

"If I'd known I was gonna make you cry so much today, I might have toned it down a bit."

Harry breathes out a laugh. He lifts his head to look up at Louis. "It's the best birthday I've ever had. Thank you."

Louis kisses him softly. "You deserve every second of it." He brushes their noses together and Harry giggles.

\-----

It takes a few days for Louis to get up the courage to call his mum. He knows he needs to tell her about Harry. She's vaguely aware that something's going on based on the tabloids, but Louis has been a bit dodgy about it since things with Harry weren't quite official. Now that they are, he feels like he's out of excuses. She's his mum. There's only so much he can keep from her before feeling like he's about to burst.

He rings her one afternoon while Harry's off at meetings.

She picks up quickly. "Hello, love!" she says.

"Hey, Mum. How are you?"

"Fine. Busy, of course, but everything's fine."

"Do you need me to call back later?"

Jay laughs softly. "Oh, I'm always busy. How are you, darling?"

"I'm alright. I've… uhm… just got a bit of news." Louis scrubs a hand over his face, trying to get his nerves under control.

"Ooh did you book another show?"

Louis chuckles. "No. Not yet." He chews on his lip as he collects himself. "I just… I've… well I've met someone."

"Louis! Have you met your soulmate?!" Jay's voice goes up an octave in her excitement.

Louis clears his throat. "Not… Not exactly."

"I'm not following, love."

Louis sighs. "The papers had it a bit right. Harry Styles is my boyfriend, but he's not my soulmate. We've spent a lot of time together lately and he's really supportive of me and everything. I care about him. A lot. I don't care that he's not my soulmate. We just… get along without all that."

There's a pause and Louis feels his stomach twist into knots as he waits for his mum to process what he's said.

"Louis, you know I love and support you no matter what choices you make," she finally says. "I only worry about you getting hurt if one of you connects to your soulmate."

Louis swallows hard. "I know. I just want to see if I can give this a proper go with him. I have to try."

"I know. I'm not here to judge. I trust you'll do what's best for you."

"Thanks, Mum," Louis says. "I love you."

"I love you too, Lou."

Harry doesn't make it home before Louis has to leave for work that evening. When Louis finally arrives back home that night, he finds Harry already curled up asleep in bed, a movie playing faintly in the background.

Louis breathes out a laugh, shutting it off before stripping down and climbing into bed.

He tries to be careful as he cuddles up behind Harry, but Harry stirs anyway, tilting back slightly to look at Louis over his shoulder.

"Mm. Hi." He mumbles.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Hi," he leans up a bit to kiss Harry softly. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you."

"'s fine," Harry says. He shifts so he can roll over and face Louis. "How was work?"

Louis shrugs. "Fine. How were your meetings?"

Harry mimics his shrug. "Fine."

Louis laughs. "Cheeky bugger."

Harry giggles and Louis kisses him again. When he pulls back, he cups Harry's cheek, brushing his thumb over it. He gazes at him for a moment, just enjoying Harry's easy smile before he finally speaks.

"I called Mum today," he says quietly. "Told her we're together."

Harry's brow furrows. "What'd she say?"

"She was supportive. Just wants me to be happy."

Harry nods slowly. "So are you happy?"

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Of course I am."

Harry grins. "I'm happy too."

Louis giggles, leaning in to kiss him deeply.

\-----

Harry is set to kick off a new tour in March and as the date creeps closer, Louis has to admit he's dreading it. At this point, they'd be lying to themselves if they said they weren't living together. Louis's flat is a technicality. He can't remember the last time he actually spent the night there.

Reality hits him hard the day Harry leaves. He finds himself heading for the tube that would take him to Harry's after work only to remember at the last minute that Harry's not there.

When he finally reaches his own flat, he's struck with one simple realization that nearly unravels him: it doesn't feel like home. His room is especially cold and desolate since no one's lived in it for almost two months.

He strips down to his pants, climbing into bed and burrowing under the covers. It's not the same as being tucked in Harry's arms. Not even close.

He debates whether or not he should bother Harry, then realizes he'll never be able to sleep without at least talking to him. He sends him a quick text.

_I miss you._

The response is almost immediate.

_I miss you too. FaceTime?_

_God yes_

Harry's name appears on the screen a moment later and Louis answers quickly.

Harry's curls are a chaotic mess and Louis just wants to run his fingers through them. Like Louis, he's currently curled up in bed.

"Fuck, Haz, it's night one and I already can't handle it," Louis says.

Harry sighs. "I know. This bed is too big."

Louis swallows hard, brushing his thumb over the image of Harry on his screen. "How was your show?"

"It was good. I think they liked the new songs."

Louis laughs softly. "I'm sure they loved them."

Harry grins, "How was work?"

Louis shrugs. "A lot of people. I'm exhausted. I really wanted a cuddle tonight."

Harry sighs. "Me too."

"We have a month, yeah? Only a month until you're back in London for four whole days."

Harry nods. "Yeah."

Louis sighs softly. He never would have guessed he'd be so dependent on another person's presence. He wants to hate it, but gazing at the beautiful man on his screen and knowing he feels the same right now makes it all worth it.

"Do you wanna stay on until we fall asleep?" Louis asks quietly.

"Yes," Harry says.

When he wakes in the morning, his phone is dead and his room is still empty and lifeless. He sticks his phone on the charger and spends an hour staring at the ceiling, wondering what Harry's up to.

He finally pulls himself out of bed when he hears signs of life in the kitchen and he shuffles out, watching as Perrie puts the kettle on.

"Morning, Pez," he says, sinking down at the kitchen table.

Perrie turns around, grinning at him. "Morning, Louis. Forgot you were meant to be back."

"Yeah. Harry's tour started last night so…" he trails off with a shrug, frowning.

Perrie leans against the counter. "Miss him, huh?"

Louis groans. "It's pathetic."

Perrie laughs. "No it's not. You're used to him being around and now he's not. Tour's only a few months long and then you'll have him back again."

Louis rests his chin in his palm. "Until his next tour."

Perrie chuckles. "Well maybe next tour, you can go with him."

Louis hates how good the idea sounds to him right now. Perrie's smirk tells him something on his face must have been a giveaway to his thoughts.

The kettle whistles and Perrie makes herself a cup of tea, glancing at Louis.

"There's enough water if you'd like a cuppa."

"Please," Louis says.

Perrie nods and prepares one for him before bringing the cups to the table and taking a seat.

Louis traces the rim of his cup, watching the steam rise from it in soft wisps. He frowns a bit as a realization hits him.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" Perrie asks.

"I need to go to the supermarket," Louis mumbles. He's not even sure what he's got at the flat. Maybe a few snacks, but nothing for a proper meal.

"I need to stock up too. We can go this afternoon."

Louis nods a bit. He reminds himself it's only 29 days until he sees Harry again.

\-----

A few days later, Louis and Niall have an appointment with the tailor to get fitted for their morning suits.

Louis's slouched in one of the shop's oversized armchairs while Niall stands on a stool getting poked and prodded by the tailor.

"I can't believe it's already March," Niall says, examining himself in the mirror. "I mean I know we're getting married pretty quick and all, but June's right around the corner."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "You've been together five years. I wouldn't call it quick."

Niall shrugs, earning him a scowl from the tailor. "We wanted to make sure we had our shit together first, ya know? I mean she's my soulmate. She's the one. We knew it would happen eventually. Just wanted to wait until we could do it right."

Louis swallows hard at the mention of soulmates. He wonders what it would be like to have that much confidence in his fate, then remembers that if he did have that confidence, he wouldn't be with Harry. It's a thought that weighs heavily on him.

"Well… I'm thrilled for you," he manages.

Niall arches an eyebrow at him in the mirror.

"I mean I'm more thrilled for the open bar, but I'm sure the rest of it will be lovely too," Louis jokes to deflect attention from his sudden downturn in mood. He's pleased when Niall cackles.

Louis's still feeling a bit off when Harry calls him that night. He's spent most of the day running wedding errands with Niall. It was nearly impossible not to dwell on what his future with Harry could be.

When Harry's face appears on the screen, Louis's heart swoops in his chest.

"Fuck, Haz… Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" Louis says.

Harry blushes. "Hello to you too," he says.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Sorry. I'm going through Harry withdrawal."

Harry giggles. "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"How are you?"

Louis shrugs. "Some days drag on a bit more than others. Today was one of those days. Hung out with Niall, which was great but…" he trails off, brow furrowing. He realizes then that there's not really a good way to explain to Harry that weddings remind Louis of him.

"But?" Harry prompts.

Louis sighs, shaking his head. "Nothing. I just really fucking missed you, is all."

Harry sighs softly. "I wish you were here."

"I wish I was too."

\-----

"I need a contact photo for you," Harry says on one of their calls.

Louis snickers. "You can't use one of the million and a half screenshots you've taken during our conversations?"

Harry blushes. "I want a proper photo."

Louis giggles. "Fine but only if you send me a proper photo first."

Harry grins. "Hold please."

His camera switches off and Louis hears shuffling on the other end. A moment later, Louis's phone buzzes and he opens the message to find a photo of Harry smiling, mouth wide and open. His eyes are bright, hair a fluffy mess. He looks soft. Louis loves it. He saves it quickly as his contact photo for Harry before switching back to the call.

"Get it?" Harry asks.

Louis chuckles. "It's lovely. Thank you."

"Your turn!"

"But, Haz," Louis protests playfully, "I'm not wearing any makeup."

Harry laughs. "Shut up and take the photo."

Louis snorts. "Some proper doting boyfriend you are."

"I'm sorry," Harry coos. "You're beautiful just as you are, my perfect, angel-faced boyfriend."

Louis cackles. "Oi stop it. I'll do it."

Harry giggles.

Louis switches to his camera app, using it as a mirror to fix his hair a bit. He thinks it over, then grins as wide as he can and snaps the photo. He looks ridiculous and normally, he'd delete it without ever letting it see the light of day, but instead he sends it to Harry.

He's rewarded with the sound of Harry's bright laughter as he switches back to the call.

"Is that satisfactory then?" He asks.

"It's perfect," Harry says. "Thank you."

\-----

"Louis…"

Louis stirs when a voice breaks through his sleep.

"Louuuuiiiiiis…"

His eyes fly open as he finally wakes enough to recognize the voice.

Harry's lying in bed with him, grin on his lips.

"Hello, love" Harry says quietly.

"Harry!" Louis practically tackles him in his haste to pull him into his arms. Harry winds up on his back, Louis half on top of him. Harry's laughing softly and Louis revels in the sound. He buries his face in Harry's neck, just enjoying Harry's warmth and the feeling of his arms wrapped tightly around him.

"What are you doing here?" Louis asks. "I thought you weren't getting in until this afternoon."

"I decided I didn't feel like waiting that long to see you. I arranged everything with Perrie yesterday and set out early this morning."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "What time is it?"

"Gone eight."

"Christ," Louis says. "You did set out early."

"Mm. But you're worth it."

Louis nuzzles his neck. "You're never allowed to leave me again, you wanker."

Harry giggles. "That's an interesting pet name."

Louis laughs. "Shut up." He lifts his head to finally gaze at Harry. Harry's smile is content and for a moment, Louis just allows himself to enjoy being with him again. He leans in to kiss him softly before pulling back.

"I missed you so fucking much," Louis says quietly.

"I missed you too," Harry says. "I love touring but I also really liked knowing you were waiting for me to come home."

Louis swallows hard. "I didn't realize how much I'd gotten used to having you around."

Harry gazes at him for a moment before gently tugging him down for a kiss. Louis sighs softly against his lips. He maneuvers on top of him to get a better angle, letting out a soft moan when Harry's hands slide down to grab his arse. He rolls his hips against Harry's, delighting in the way Harry's breath catches.

He nips at Harry's jaw. "God, I wish Perrie and Niall weren't home. I want to fuck you into this bed."

"I can be quiet," Harry says, arching against him.

Louis snickers, lifting his head to look at him. "First of all, no you can't. Second of all, I definitely can't."

Harry giggles mischievously. "I'm not opposed to a little exhibitionism."

Louis snorts. "I know you're not. I've seen you on stage."

Harry cackles and Louis grins, just glad to hear the bright sound no longer filtered through a fuzzy internet connection.

When Harry calms, he gazes up at Louis, grinning broadly. Louis chuckles softly, brushing his fingers over his cheek, pleased when Harry tilts his head into his hand.

"You're gorgeous," Louis says.

Harry blushes. "So are you." He kisses Louis's palm. "Wanna get out of here? Go back to mine?"

Louis nods. "I've been sharing you with the whole fucking continent. I'd like you to myself for a day."

Harry laughs softly. "No matter how many cities I visit or people I perform for, I am yours, Louis Tomlinson. You don't share me with anyone."

Louis stills, smile slipping. He can tell Harry's brow is starting to furrow and he glances away.

"Louis? What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Louis says, shaking his head. He looks down at the red string wrapped tightly around his own finger, still unattached, and wonders whose Harry's is attached to at this very moment while Louis's in bed with him.

Harry takes Louis's hand in his own, kissing his fingers. He lingers on Louis's pinky as if he can read his thoughts and a chill runs down Louis's spine.

Louis finally brings his gaze back to Harry's, breathing shakily. Harry keeps hold of his hand. He tilts his head, seeming to assess Louis. After a moment, he shakes his head, pressing a kiss to Louis's palm.

"I'm yours, Louis. I need you to trust that."

Louis breathes in deeply, trying to steel himself. He wants to believe Harry. In fact, he normally manages not to think about how complicated everything really is until something draws his attention to it.

"Okay," he says, because he still wants to believe in their relationship more than anything.

Harry tips his head up to kiss him and Louis revels in the feeling of just having Harry back. He has him for four days before it's another two months until he sees him again. He's determined to enjoy it while he can.

They pull themselves out of bed a few minutes later. Louis packs up a bag, not sure how much he's got at Harry's since he hasn't been there in a bit.

Harry's already returned the rental he used to get from Manchester, so they have to uber back to his place. He's got his own luggage with him. Louis thinks it must appear to any nosy neighbors like they've just come back from holiday. He tries not to dwell on how nice it would be to return home from holiday with Harry.

They leave their jackets and shoes downstairs and lug their bags up to Harry's room. Louis unpacks his stuff into the drawer he uses at Harry's and it starts to sink in just how right it feels to be back. He breathes in deeply, shutting the drawer - his drawer.

He turns to find Harry rummaging in the wardrobe. He leans back against the dresser and watches him for a moment.

"Harry," he says.

"Hmm?" Harry continues unpacking.

"Haz," Louis says.

"What?" Harry finally turns to him, brow furrowed, and Louis holds out his arms.

Harry smiles slowly, setting aside the shirt in his hand before walking over and sliding into Louis's arms. He slips his own arms around Louis's waist and Louis grins, lifting up to kiss him softly.

Harry sinks into it easily and Louis loves how warm and pliant he is. He deepens the kiss, pulling Harry closer. Harry moans softly before breathing out a laugh.

"Picking up where we left off?" he asks.

Louis smiles. "I'd like to."

Harry giggles. "Me too."

He kisses Louis again, this time with more determination. He grinds his hips against Louis's and Louis moans as the dresser rattles behind him.

Louis tugs up on Harry's shirt and Harry lifts his arms to help him get it off. Louis tosses it aside and Harry kisses him again. Harry's hands slip down to grab his arse and Louis gasps as he's lifted off the ground, wrapping his legs firmly around Harry's waist.

He moans against Harry's lips as Harry carries him to the bed.

"Fuck you're fit," Louis breathes out.

Harry smirks, laying Louis on the bed before crawling over him. He leans down, kissing Louis deeply. Louis pulls him closer, crushing their bodies together.

Harry moans and rocks his hips against Louis's. Louis's breath catches. He's hard and he can tell Harry is too. Louis nudges him and Harry gets the hint, carefully rolling them so Louis is on top.

Louis sits back to peel off his shirt before reaching down to unbutton Harry's jeans, not missing the way Harry inhales sharply as he tugs down the zip. He slides back, bringing Harry's jeans and pants down with him, leaving Harry spread out naked on the bed.

Louis sucks in a breath. He stands to retrieve the condom and lube from the drawer, then sheds the rest of his clothes before climbing back on the bed. He's aware of Harry's gaze following him intently.

Louis coats his fingers in lube, positioning one at Harry's entrance. Harry gasps as Louis presses into him, gently preparing him before adding another finger. He spreads his fingers carefully and Harry rocks his hips down. Louis brushes his prostate, causing a loud moan to escape Harry's lips. Louis snickers.

"That beautiful sound is why we didn't stay at my place," he says.

Harry laughs softly. "I could have kept it down."

"Mm. But I don't want you to." Louis rubs his prostate again, eliciting another moan from Harry. "It's my favorite sound."

Harry smirks and Louis leans down to kiss him, slipping a third finger in. Harry groans and Louis brushes his prostate, feeling his breath stutter against his lips.

"Fuck, Lou, now." Harry says.

Louis sits back again. He slides his fingers out and slips the condom on, coating his own cock with lube. He shuffles forward to position himself, pressing in slowly. Harry gasps. Louis leans down to kiss him deeply as he begins rocking inside him.

Harry's legs wrap around his waist and Louis finds it intoxicating to be surrounded by him. He reaches between them, wrapping a hand around Harry's cock to stroke in time with his thrusts.

"Louis!" Harry moans, clinging tightly to Louis's back.

Louis rocks harder and when one particular thrust causes Harry to inhale sharply, Louis realizes he's found his prostate. He hits it again with more purpose and Harry arches into him. Louis drops his head down to bury his face in Harry's neck. One of Harry's hands buries in his hair. Louis can feel Harry's body beginning to shake, the sound of his moans getting more strained.

He licks a stripe up Harry's neck and Harry shudders, moaning loudly as he comes. Louis changes the angle, moving faster until he can get himself off, spilling out into the condom with a groan.

Louis collapses on top of Harry in a sweaty, tangled heap. The shift causes him to slip out of Harry and they both shiver.

Louis sighs softly, pressing kisses to Harry's neck as they relax, regaining their breath. Harry's fingers play gently with his hair and Louis nuzzles his neck.

"I'm so glad you're back," he murmurs.

"Me too," Harry says quietly.

It takes awhile for them to move. They only manage to pull themselves up because they finally realize how long it's been since they've eaten.

They get showered and Harry convinces Louis that clothes are completely unnecessary for the rest of the day. Louis feels a bit self-conscious about it, but when he keeps catching Harry checking him out, he takes it as an ego boost and very gladly returns the favor.

Harry doesn't have much in the way of food since he's been gone so long, but he manages to throw together a decent spag bol.

Louis glances at Harry as they get settled on the couch and laughs softly.

Harry arches an eyebrow at him. "What?"

Louis shrugs. "One of the biggest popstars in the world made spag bol naked for me. I forget how famous you are sometimes and then it hits me. Literally thousands of people would kill to be in my place right now. I'm just… lucky."

Harry blushes, poking at his spaghetti with his fork, "I'm lucky too."

Louis snickers. "Eh. Not many people are vying to see me naked."

Harry smirks slightly. "If our places were reversed, they would be. Doesn't matter though. You're mine and you're gorgeous."

Louis laughs softly, leaning over carefully to kiss him before sitting back. "You're good for the ego."

Harry giggles. "Guess that means you should keep me around."

Louis smirks. "I fully intend to."

Harry grins.

Louis wakes the following morning with Harry wrapped around him. He lies there, just letting himself relax and enjoy having Harry back.

Harry stirs a few minutes later and Louis feels his grasp tighten.

"Morning," Harry mumbles.

"Morning," Louis says, kissing his temple.

"Sleep well?" Harry asks, lifting his head to rest it beside Louis's on the pillow.

Louis smiles. "The best I've slept since you left."

"Me too," Harry says. He leans in to kiss Louis softly. "Beds just aren't as comfortable without you in them."

Louis giggles. "Maybe you've just been sleeping in shit beds."

Harry snorts. "Maybe I just need to kidnap you so I can get some sleep for the rest of the tour."

Louis smirks. "Planning to stash me away in the tour bus?"

"Mm. I'll tie you up in my bunk."

Louis laughs. "Ah. I see how it is. It's not the sleep you miss. It's the sex."

Harry snickers. "I mean that is a nice bonus to having a boyfriend." His hand slides down, grabbing Louis's arse and Louis gasps. "Speaking of which… What do you say to a bit of morning sex, boyfriend?"

Louis giggles mischievously, leaning in to kiss Harry deeply.

Later that afternoon, they head to the venue so Harry can soundcheck and get ready for the show.

Louis is a bit in awe as they weave through the underbelly of the arena. Harry has a few quick conversations with people they pass until they make it to a dressing room with his name plastered on the door. He hangs his coat on a rack and dumps his stuff off on the vanity, glancing at Louis.

"You can leave your things anywhere. I don't mind." He smiles slightly. "It'll be a nice change to have a touch of you in here."

Louis breathes out a laugh and sheds his jacket, hanging it beside Harry's.

When he turns back to Harry, Harry holds out his arms and Louis walks over, sinking into them. Harry chews on his lip, seeming a bit nervous before he finally speaks.

"So, you're about to meet everyone and I know we haven't really talked about this before but… I'd like to introduce you as my boyfriend."

Louis swallows hard. He's surprised Harry's willing to openly be in a relationship with a non-soulmate, especially when it's still so new. "Really?"

Harry nods. "Only if you're comfortable with it, of course."

"What if they ask about the soulmate thing?"

Harry shrugs, glancing away. "I've had non-soulmate relationships before."

Louis's brow furrows. They've never really gone into any great detail about their past relationships. He's not sure how this information makes him feel. It's surprising, given how deeply Harry believes in soulmates. He wonders if the relationships came before or after Harry met his soulmate, but now's not really the time for those heavy conversations. He decides to focus on the issue at hand for now.

"If you want to introduce me as your boyfriend, I'd like that," Louis says quietly.

Harry looks at him again. "Really?"

Louis nods. "I think I'd feel a bit weird if you just called me a friend, to be honest."

Harry laughs softly, kissing him. "I was thinking more along the lines of 'my main squeeze', but friend would have worked too."

Louis cackles. "You're terrible."

Harry grins. "Thank you."

Louis smiles, lifting up on his toes to give him a kiss before resting his head on his shoulder.

They break apart a few minutes later, heading out to check out the layout for the night. They climb the stairs at the back of the stage and emerge in the empty arena. Louis's still trying to take it all in. In a few short hours, this arena will be full to the bursting, vibrating with the energy of thousands of fans.

Harry wanders over and sinks down on the edge of the stage, dangling his legs over it. He pats the space beside him and Louis joins him. For a moment, they sit in silence, gazing out over the empty seats.

It's Harry who finally speaks. "I like to come out and spend time on stage when it's empty. It's quiet. I can clear my head and sort of… I don't know… visualize the show, I guess. Mentally prepare for it. It helps me get to know the venue. Each one has a unique feeling to it. They've all got a different story to tell." He breathes in deeply. "Thousands upon thousands of songs have filled these walls and tonight, mine will join them. It's humbling."

Louis looks over at him. "You know… I've never met anyone quite like you and I don't think I ever will again."

Harry blushes, meeting his gaze. "I'm not that special."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Yes, you are. You have the best heart of anyone I've ever known."

Harry swallows hard, reaching out to pull Louis into a hug. Louis buries his face in his neck.

"Thank you," Harry whispers.

"There's nothing to thank me for. I should be thanking you for showing me this side of yourself."

"You're the only person I've ever shared this with."

"Harry…" Louis hugs him tighter. "Thank you."

Harry's bandmates arrive a little while later and introductions are made. Louis can't help but preen when Harry calls him his boyfriend and his bandmates seem to take it in stride.

Louis climbs down off the stage to watch soundcheck. Harry smiles down at him and Louis's smile in response is automatic.

As Harry begins to play, Louis remembers their conversation from earlier. At the moment, Harry's not in a colorful suit or covered in glitter. He's wearing a soft white tee and black skinny jeans, hair a bit chaotic. Standing with Harry like this in an empty arena, it's hard to imagine the superstar he's about to transform into. Right now, he's Harry… just Harry. Louis feels his heart pounding in his chest and thinks, for the first time, that he might be dangerously close to falling in love with Harry.

When soundcheck is over, Louis heads backstage with Harry again. The hallways are a flurry of activity now as it gets closer to showtime. They weave their way around people scurrying to prepare for the show and return to Harry's dressing room where someone has now hung his suit for the night and laid out a vast array of products on the vanity.

"Are you planning to hang out here?" Harry asks.

Louis checks the time on his phone. "I have to grab Perrie and Niall in about an hour, but yes. Until then, at least."

Harry nods. He sinks down on the couch and Louis settles in beside him. Harry leans into him and Louis smiles softly, wrapping an arm around him so Harry can cuddle against him.

"I like having you here," Harry says.

Louis kisses the top of his head. "I like being here."

Harry only leaves his side when his team comes in to begin prep. Louis watches quietly until Perrie texts to let him know they're outside. Harry's given him backstage passes so they can get in through the back, along with a set of tickets.

It's wild to Louis that he can just wander freely on his own. People glance at his badge and let him be. He manages to locate the back door easily enough and grins when he spies his friends waiting off to the side.

There's a small group of fans clustered at the barricade and he feels their eyes following him as he approaches Perrie and Niall.

"How's it feel to be on that side of the barricade?" Niall teases.

Louis smirks. "I'm enjoying it." He holds out the lanyards for them. "Courtesy of you-know-who," he says, aware fans are clinging to their every word.

Perrie's eyes widen as she takes hers. "Oh bloody hell yes." She slips it on as Niall laughs and takes his.

Louis gets security to help them past the barricade, then leads them in through the back. They have to pass through additional security inside but once they're through, they're free to wander the venue.

Louis glances over at Perrie. "I didn't get a chance to thank you for helping Harry surprise me yesterday. It meant a lot."

Perrie smiles softly. "It was mostly him. All I had to do was be awake to let him in. He was so anxious to get back, I couldn't possibly say no."

Louis blushes. "Well, thanks… it was nice to wake up to him."

"Of course," Perrie gently squeezes his arm. "Where is lover boy anyway?"

Louis shrugs. "Dressing room, I'd imagine. He was surrounded by a prep team last I saw him."

Perrie laughs softly. "I would die to have someone prepare my hair and makeup for me every day."

"You're lovely just as you are, Pez," Louis says fondly and Perrie grins.

As it gets closer to showtime, they wander out of the tunnel behind the stage and find a barricade to exit through into the arena.

The place is practically vibrating with energy now. Harry's opener has already performed so nearly every seat is filled. The difference from a couple hours ago is incredible. Louis can hardly believe it's the same venue.

They wander the aisles until they find their seats, just off the aisle beside B stage. Louis takes the seat closest to the stage.

It's not long before the lights go down and the place erupts in screams. A series of cartoon images flash on the screen before it rises and Harry appears.

His suit glistens under the spotlights and he explodes into his song, thriving off the energy of the crowd. He's positively radiant and Louis is enraptured. He finds himself bopping along to the music with Perrie in a way he's never allowed himself to before, cheering on Harry between each song.

He's not expecting the whirlwind that comes with B stage.

Harry races down the aisle, collecting all manner of flowers as he goes. He passes most of them off to security to deal with at the end, save for a single rose that he tosses to Louis.

Louis catches it, heart pounding in his chest, not missing the smirk on Harry's lips before he jogs up the stairs onto B stage.

He swallows hard, realizing then just how close Harry actually is. Despite watching him from below for soundcheck, he's completely unprepared for how larger-than-life Harry seems now.

Louis takes a moment to glance around the arena, noting the thousands of phones held aloft with their lights on. It's like a sea of stars and it's breathtaking.

He returns his gaze to Harry, finding his eyes already fixed on him. It's then that he focuses on the song and the lyrics and realizes what Harry is singing.

_For your eyes only, I'll show you my heart_   
_For when you're lonely and forget who you are_   
_I'm missing half of me when we're apart_   
_Now you know me, for your eyes only_   
_For your eyes only_

Louis breathes shakily, clutching the bar of the barricade in front of him with one hand as he clutches the rose to his chest with the other.

As the song fades out, he can tell Harry takes a moment to collect himself before scurrying back down the stairs, up the aisle to the main stage.

Louis feels Perrie squeeze his shoulder and glances back at her. Her smile is gentle and Louis wonders just how obvious his feelings are right now.

He's not sure how he makes it through the rest of the concert.

They wait for a fair amount of people to file out at the end of the show before heading up to the front to get backstage again. Louis can tell people are watching them carefully as they slip past the barricade and he wonders briefly what they must think.

They make their way through the busy hallways to Harry's dressing room. Louis knocks at the door.

"Come in!" Harry calls.

Louis opens the door slowly. Harry's seated on the couch, back in his jeans and tee, playing on his phone. He looks like a completely different person, warm and soft, and he stands to greet everyone.

"Perrie, lovely to see you again," he says, giving her a hug.

"Hello, Harry. Fantastic show!" Perrie says.

Harry laughs softly as he pulls away. "Thank you, love." He turns to Niall, shaking his hand. "Niall, pleasure."

"Likewise! Bloody brilliant show, mate," Niall says.

"Ta," Harry says with a grin.

He finally looks at Louis and his smile softens. Louis can't help himself and he steps forward, throwing his arms around him.

"You were amazing," Louis murmurs as Harry holds him tight.

"Thank you," Harry says quietly, kissing his temple.

It takes another moment for Harry to release him, but even then, they keep an arm around each other.

"So," Harry says. "I've got various London friends vying for my attention tonight. I think we've settled on a club to meet at if you want to tag along."

He feels Harry squeeze his shoulder and enjoys the fact that Harry knows his presence is a given.

Perrie looks to Niall and they have an unspoken conversation that involves a few facial expressions and shrugs before they turn back to Harry.

"We'd love to come!" Perrie says with a grin.

"Wonderful! I've got a car for the night. It's waiting for us down in the garage," Harry says.

He kisses Louis's forehead before letting go of him. They retrieve their jackets and the group heads out to the car.

Perrie and Niall take the middle row while Louis and Harry slide in the back. Harry sits in the center seat so he can lean on Louis, resting his hand on his thigh. Louis rests his hand on Harry's, twining their fingers together. Harry's being particularly clingy and Louis is loving every second of it.

"How are wedding plans coming along?" Harry asks as the car pulls off.

Niall and Perrie turn enough in their seats to look at him.

"Almost done!" Niall says proudly. "Mostly just the last minute stuff left. Final touches and confirmations and all that."

"Louis told us you're his plus one," Perrie says. "We're thrilled to have you. Wasn't sure if you'd be able to squeeze it into tour."

Harry laughs softly. "You managed to find the one weekend without a show."

Perrie grins. "Well isn't that lucky!"

"Very lucky!" Harry says. "I'm happy to be able to come."

Louis's twirling his rose in his fingers. Harry glances over at him, his gaze flicking down to the rose before returning to Louis's. Louis feels his thumb brush against his hand and he squeezes Harry's fingers gently.

Louis senses Perrie and Niall watching them and he glances between them. Perrie just gives him a knowing smile before they turn around in their seats.

Harry slouches to rest his head on Louis's shoulder for the remainder of the ride.

When they're finally back at Harry's at the end of the night, Harry barely has time to lock the door behind him before Louis's got him pressed against it. Louis crashes their lips together and Harry moans loudly, hands fisting in the back of Louis's jacket.

They'd been inseparable at the club. Harry had spent the night making it quite clear that Louis belonged to him and it was almost more than Louis could bear.

Louis shoves at Harry's jacket, doing his best not to break the kiss as he gets it off and tosses it somewhere behind him. His own jacket is removed in the same fashion, though they find they need to break apart briefly to stumble out of their shoes.

Louis tugs him in again as soon as he's able. They can scarcely seem to coordinate as they kiss, too desperate to care.

Harry lifts Louis off the ground and Louis moans against his lips. Harry manages to get them both safely up the stairs, laying Louis on the bed.

They shed their clothes quickly and Harry surprises Louis when he stays on top. He doesn't prepare, just slides the condom onto Louis's cock, coating it with lube. Louis shivers as Harry takes hold of him and sinks down, burying Louis's cock inside him.

Louis groans, head falling back. "Harry!"

His hips lift off the bed, but Harry pins him back down, riding him until the bed is squeaking beneath them.

Louis feels like he's gasping for breath. He risks a look at Harry and finds Harry's eyes are fixed on him. He reaches out his hand, taking hold of Harry's cock to stroke it. Harry's head falls back in pleasure, exposing his long neck.

Louis watches the swift rise and fall of his chest with his breaths. He swipes his thumb over the tip of his cock and Harry's rhythm falters with his shudder. When he resumes, his pace is faster, more determined, and Louis feels the heat building through his entire body. He comes with a loud moan and Harry's not far behind.

Harry carefully eases off of his cock before collapsing on top of him, breathing heavily.

Louis can scarcely think and it's not long before they both pass out.

Louis wakes feeling hot and sticky. Harry's still half on top of him, mouth hanging open as he breathes heavily in his sleep. They reek of sex and Louis only half wishes they'd had the energy to clean up last night.

He strokes his fingers through Harry's hair, replaying it in his mind. They were good normally, but last night was a whole different level and he's pretty sure Harry knows it too.

Harry stirs, giving a small snuffle as he wakes. He lifts his head slowly, blinking at Louis before a sleepy grin spreads across his lips.

"Hi," he says quietly.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Hey," he says.

Harry leans up to kiss him softly. "Last night was amazing."

Louis smiles."Yes, it was."

Harry kisses him again. "We should shower."

Louis giggles. "Yes, we should."

Harry gives him one final kiss and Louis loses himself in it.

Louis's scrolling through his phone as Harry prepares breakfast for them. He sees Perrie's text as soon as it comes in.

_Seen this yet?_

She's attached a link and Louis holds his breath as he clicks it, opening the article.

"Has Harry Styles Found His Soulmate?" the headline reads. "Styles has been spotted with former X Factor hopeful Louis Tomlinson for the first time since January," the article continues.

Louis swallows hard, scrolling through the article. There's a video from the concert and he knows he shouldn't click it, but he does anyway.

The person filming was somewhere across the way from him by B Stage. He can see himself clearly in the video, one hand on the railing, the other clutching the rose, as Harry sings to him. There's a smile on Louis's face that he's not even sure he knew was there at the time and his eyes might as well be shooting hearts from them.

He closes out of the video, scrolling through more videos of him bouncing to the music, along with a few photos of him with Harry at the club, their hands always somewhere on each other.

He sets his phone aside and breathes in deeply, trying to process how rapidly his world is changing.

"Find any good videos?" Harry asks, attention still on the stove.

"What?" Louis snaps out of his daze.

"Videos. From the show. I heard you watching them. Find anything good?"

"Oh," Louis clears his throat. "There was… uhm… an article about us. Perrie sent it to me. It was full of videos of me."

Harry freezes then before turning slowly to look at him. Louis has no idea what his own expression must look like, but whatever it is, it makes Harry turn the temperature down on the stove and walk over to him.

Louis tilts his head up and Harry takes his face in his hands.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

Louis breathes shakily. "Just makes me a bit nervous. Feels a bit like I'm living in a fishbowl when I'm out with you."

Harry searches his eyes. "This isn't going to change, you know. This is what it's going to be like to be with me."

Louis sighs. "I know." He tips his head to press a kiss to Harry's palm. "You're worth it." He realizes this with startling clarity as he gazes up at Harry. "I wish we didn't have to deal with it, but you're worth it. I'm not going to let them scare me away from you. You deserve so much better than that."

He hears Harry's breath catch, watching him bat his eyelashes to chase away the sudden tears in his eyes.

Louis tugs gently on his arms and Harry sinks easily into his lap. Louis kisses him softly. He hates having every tiny detail of their relationship analyzed but he comforts himself with the knowledge that for every public moment, there are a million that are soft, quiet, and just for them.

"We should take a selfie," Louis says while they're sitting on the edge of the stage before the show.

Harry laughs softly. "Now?"

"Mmhmm. We don't have photos of us." Louis snorts. "Well, none that weren't taken by fans or paparazzi." He pulls his phone out of his pocket. "I need a new background."

Harry grins. "Okay." He settles against Louis's side and when Louis lifts his phone to snap the photo, Harry kisses his cheek.

Louis laughs as he pulls his phone down, showing the picture to Harry.

"Send it to me," Harry says.

Louis grins, setting it as his home screen before texting the photo to Harry. Harry punches a few things into his own phone, then turns it to face Louis.

"We match," he says proudly, showing Louis his home screen.

Louis giggles. "So we're one of those couples now?"

"Yes," Harry says, kissing his cheek again.

Louis laughs.

"Louis!"

He hears his name as soon as he steps out the back door to meet Perrie and Niall. The voice doesn't belong to either of his friends and he tries not to be alarmed. He spies Perrie and Niall in the same spot as the day before and hurries over to them. He hears excited whispers in the crowd and some of the girls don't even try and hide the fact that they're taking his picture. He does his best to ignore it, passing off the lanyards to his friends and getting them through the gate as quickly as possible.

They're inside before any of them speak.

"Bloody hell," Niall says. "What the fuck was that?"

Louis snorts. "I wish I knew."

"Oh, love," Perrie says, pulling him in for a hug.

Louis sinks into it. "It's fine. Thank you for sending me the article. Think I might have been caught off guard otherwise."

"Of course." She squeezes his arm as she pulls back. "How are you holding up?"

Louis shrugs. "Better than I thought I'd be. Harry's been good about it. I'm just sort of reminding myself that they'll never know the whole story. They can get bits and pieces that I can't hide, but Harry… the real Harry… He's mine."

"He is and you're gorgeous together," Perrie assures him.

Louis laughs softly. "Thanks, Pez."

Louis can tell they're being watched again when they head to their seats. He wishes at the very least that he could protect his friends from all this, but they don't seem to be paying any attention to it anyway.

When they reach their seats, everyone around them is whispering. The girls in front of him keep glancing back, not so subtly nudging each other until the girl directly in front of him seems to take charge of the situation and turns around.

"You're Louis, aren't you?" She asks.

"I am," Louis confirms.

"We've seen videos from your pub shows. We're big fans. My friend wants a photo but she's too scared to ask." As she says this, said friend scowls at her and she simply shrugs.

Louis thinks it over. Whether they're genuinely fans of his or not, Louis can't say, but they're fans of Harry's, so he'll do what he can to be nice.

"Alright then," he says.

The other girl finally turns around. "Really?" she asks.

"Yeah, come on, bring it in," he says. He stands and both girls follow his lead. The first girl gets her phone ready as her friend leans in.

Louis smiles and she snaps the photo.

"Did you want one as well?" he asks her.

"If you don't mind!" She passes off her phone to her friend and Louis switches sides.

When the photo's been taken and both girls are satisfied, they all sit down again.

"Thanks, Louis," the second girl says, a bit shy.

"Course, love," he says. "Enjoy the show."

She grins then. "You too," she says before finally turning back around.

Louis feels Perrie rub his arm and he glances over at her.

"Good job," she whispers.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Thanks."

They head back to Harry's dressing room again at the end of the show. Louis turns to Perrie and Niall at the door.

"Can you give us a sec?" he asks.

"Of course," Perrie says. "We'll wait here."

Louis nods and enters the room. Harry's messing with his hair at the vanity. He catches Louis's gaze in the mirror, smile on his lips, but his brow furrows when he realizes Louis is alone.

"Where are Perrie and Niall?" he asks, straightening up and turning to Louis.

"Waiting in the hall."

Harry tilts his head. "Is everything alright?"

Louis nods a bit, finally closing the distance between them and wrapping his arms around Harry. He feels Harry's arms slide around him and he buries his face in Harry's neck.

"I just wanted you to myself for a minute. I wanted my Harry."

Harry breathes out a laugh. "I'm always your Harry."

"No, you're not. Not like this, anyway. You're a superstar on stage and you're brilliant… but this Harry right now is my favorite. It's the Harry I don't have to share." Louis kisses his neck. "Every version of you is perfect, but I like this one best."

Harry sniffles and Louis feels his arms tighten around him.

"This is my favorite Louis," he says quietly.

Louis laughs softly. "That works out perfectly."

Louis and Harry drink a bit too much and stay out a bit too late this time because Harry doesn't have a show the following night. He's got another full day with Louis that Louis is extremely excited about.

When they finally make it home, they're both exhausted. They strip down and crawl into bed, tangling together until Louis can't figure out where Harry ends and he begins. It might be a sign that he's a bit too drunk, but he doesn't care. He's wrapped up in Harry and he's warm and content. He falls asleep easily.

"Louis…"

He feels a nudge to his shoulder and groans softly as he opens his eyes.

Harry is leaning over him, grinning. "Good morning, sunshine," he says.

"Good morning," Louis says, covering his mouth as he yawns. He slowly becomes aware of his surroundings and he sniffs, brow furrowing. "Do I smell sausage?"

Harry giggles, sitting back. "Breakfast in bed!"

Louis pulls himself up, gazing at the array of food spread out on two trays. His own head is pounding and Harry had matched him drink for drink so he's more than a little impressed that Harry's managed a fry-up with eggy bread.

"Hang on," Louis's brow furrows again as he looks at Harry. "We didn't have any of this stuff in the kitchen."

Harry shrugs. "I made a run to the grocers this morning."

"Why?" Louis asks.

"Because," Harry says, leaning forward to give him a quick kiss. "I wanted to spoil my gorgeous boyfriend on our last full day together."

Louis swallows hard. "Thank you."

Harry grins, giving him another kiss before sitting back again.

"Let's eat before it gets cold," he says.

They don't bother dividing anything out, setting the trays between them instead and picking at everything.

When they're finished, Harry insists on cleaning up himself and Louis gets settled back against the pillows, watching something random on Netflix until he returns.

Harry immediately cuddles up to Louis's side, draping an arm over his waist. Louis idly plays with his hair, mulling over an idea he's had since the night before.

He kisses the top of Harry's head before he speaks. "Hey, Haz?"

"Hmm?"

"We should go on a proper date."

Harry tilts his head up. "What?"

"We've been together three months, two officially, and we've never had a proper date. The world's catching on anyway. Might as well let them get used to seeing us together if we ever want to be able to do normal things together."

Harry smiles slowly. "I'd like that."

Louis grins, kissing him softly.

Harry makes a reservation at an upscale restaurant. As much as they want to be out in public, they also want to avoid untimely intrusions.

They spend most of the day in bed until it's time to start getting ready. Louis has nothing remotely reasonable to wear for a date, so he has no choice but to return to his flat for a bit to find something.

Perrie looks up from the couch when he enters. "What are you doing home? Thought you and Harry would be inseparable today."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "We're going on our first real date. I didn't have anything to wear at Harry's."

"Ooh!" He hears Perrie squeal as she scrambles off the couch, followed by the patter of her feet as she chases him into his room.

"Please let me help you get ready!" She says.

Louis laughs. "I think I might need it actually."

Perrie grins. She throws open his wardrobe, flicking through his clothes. Louis just watches as she tosses random things out onto his bed.

When she's finally done, she arranges and rearranges pieces into outfits.

"Christ, Pez, you might actually be taking this more seriously than I am."

Perrie doesn't even spare him a glance as she tosses a few items aside, apparently deciding against them. "It's your first date. It's very serious business." She pauses and finally looks at him. "How is this only your first date?"

Louis scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. "With my work schedule and his touring, we just never got around to it."

Perrie snorts. "But you got around to shacking up with him."

Louis feels himself blushing. "We're not shacking up."

Perrie arches an eyebrow. "If you say so, love."

Thankfully, she returns her attention to the clothes laid out in front of her. She finally selects a dark blue suit and holds it out to Louis.

"This," she says. "It makes your eyes a really bright blue."

Louis eyes it a bit skeptically. "It's not too much?"

"Where are you going?"

Louis shrugs. "Some place Harry picked."

"It's not too much, trust me," Perrie says with an air of finality.

Louis breathes out a laugh and finally takes it from her, retreating to the bathroom to put it on. He has to admit, he fills it out nicely. He twirls a bit, getting a good look at himself in the mirror. He can't help but smirk when he sees his arse. Very nicely.

He walks back into his room holding out his arms to give Perrie a full view of the suit.

"How do I look?" He asks.

"You look gorgeous, darling," she says, walking over to kiss his cheek. "Now let me do your hair."

She walks out of the room and Louis assumes he's supposed to follow. She leads him to her bedroom vanity.

"Sit," she says, motioning to the chair with the hairbrush in her hand.

Louis does as he's told and Perrie gets to work. She brushes and fluffs and adds all manner of product until Louis's hair is in a perfect quiff.

Perrie sets the brush aside and rests her hands on his shoulders.

"Just look at those cheekbones," she says. "Ugh. They could cut glass."

Louis laughs softly, examining himself in the mirror. He has to admit, he's never cleaned up so well.

He checks the time on his phone then. "I should head out. Still need to meet Harry back at his place. Thank you. For all of this," he says, reaching up to squeeze her hands.

Perrie smiles softly. "Of course, love. I feel a bit like a fairy godmother if I'm being honest." She steps back then. "Hang on. Stand up. Let me get a photo."

"Peeeeez," Louis protests.

"Quit the whinging. Come on!"

Louis groans and stands, moving into better lighting. He clasps his hands in front of him and smiles and Perrie snaps a few photos.

"Ohhhh," she says. "I am sending these to your mother!"

Louis's eyes widen. "You wouldn't!"

"Mmm. I already did." She says with a grin, turning her phone to show him the text conversation.

Louis groans. "I will never hear the end of this."

Perrie giggles, stepping forward to kiss his cheek. "Go get your Prince Charming," she says.

Louis snorts.

When he finally leaves, there's just enough time left for him to pop by the florist and pick up flowers for Harry. It is their first date, after all.

He makes it to Harry's right on time and pauses at the door. He hides the flowers behind his back and rings the bell instead of letting himself in.

Harry opens the door, a lop-sided smile on his lips. He's dressed in a crisp black suit, the top buttons on his shirt undone so it can peek open just the slightest. His legs look ridiculously long in the sharply tailored trousers. For a moment, Louis's brain short-circuits.

"Door's unlocked, you know," Harry teases.

Louis huffs out a laugh as he meets his gaze. "Wanted to surprise you." He pulls the flowers out from behind his back, holding them out to Harry. "For you," he says.

Harry grins as he accepts them. "They're lovely. Thank you." He steps back then, motioning inside. "Come in while I put them in water."

Louis nods, stepping in. Harry wanders into the kitchen and Louis waits in the entryway, ringing his hands together as he listens to the sounds of cabinets and running water.

Harry finally returns a moment later, smiling at him. He seems to think before stepping forward to kiss Louis softly.

Louis sighs as Harry pulls back.

"I needed to get that out of my system before we go out in public," Harry says.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "I could get a lot more out of my system right now, if I'm being honest."

"Hey now," Harry teases. "It's only the first date. What kind of man do you think I am?"

Louis giggles mischievously and Harry smirks.

"You look gorgeous, by the way," Harry says.

Louis's cheeks warm. "So do you."

Harry kisses him one more time before heading out the door.

They decide to take one of Harry's cars instead of calling for an uber so they can have at least a tiny bit of privacy.

Once he's backed out, Harry reaches over, resting his hand on Louis's thigh. Louis drops his hand down, tangling their fingers together.

"I'm excited," Harry says.

"Me too," Louis says. "It's been a while since I've been on a proper date."

Harry glances over at him. "How long?"

Louis shrugs. "Few years. I… don't really tend to find myself in long-term arrangements." He clears his throat awkwardly, shifting in his seat.

"It's been a while for me too," Harry admits.

Louis looks over at him. "What about your soulmate?"

Harry's lips tilt into a frown. "It's complicated."

Louis decides not to pry, not wanting to spoil their date. He squeezes Harry's hand instead.

"You don't have to justify anything to me. I'm just glad I've got you now," he says gently.

Harry glances at him. "I'm glad I have you too," he says quietly.

Harry squeezes his hand when they reach the restaurant before gently letting go as they pull to a stop.

"Wait here," he says.

Louis arches an eyebrow at him but Harry just grins and hops out of the car. Louis watches him walk round the front, handing his keys off to the valet who has appeared out of nowhere, before opening Louis's door for him.

Louis laughs softly and slides out. Harry's grinning proudly as he shuts the door behind him. He places a steady hand on Louis's lower back and gently guides him inside.

"Welcome back, Mr. Styles," the hostess says as soon as they enter. "Right this way!"

Harry motions for Louis to go first and they follow the hostess to their table, taking their seats. A few people glance their way, but their attention is thankfully brief.

Louis picks up his menu and starts perusing. His stomach flips at the prices.

"Get whatever you want, I'm paying," Harry says as if sensing his internal dilemma.

Louis looks up at him. "Harry, I can't let you do that."

Harry arches an eyebrow. "You got me flowers."

"That's not the same and you know it."

Harry shrugs. "Ok. You can pay for the next date."

"Harry…" Louis protests.

Harry gazes at him for a moment before setting his menu down. "If you don't want me to pay for you, I'll respect that, but if it's because you're concerned about the cost to me or that I'll think you're using me for my money, don't be." He rests his hand on Louis's on the table. "You've always paid your share of takeaways and you've spoiled me since we got together. Let me pay for our first date."

Louis swallows hard. He glances down at their hands, brushing his thumb over Harry's before meeting his gaze again.

"Okay," he says.

Harry smiles and pulls his hand back. Louis feels a tug at his finger and glances down at the string. It's bright, even in the dim restaurant lighting. He hardly pays attention to it anymore, so used to it being there. Now, it's a reminder that he's ignoring everything it represents, that he's choosing the beautiful man in front of him. There's something empowering in that.

"Are you alright?" Harry asks.

Louis blinks, snapping out of his daze to meet Harry's eyes.

"Yeah… I'm fine," Louis says. He breathes deeply before smiling softly. "I'm just reminding myself how lucky I am."

Harry grins. "I'm lucky too."

Louis wishes they weren't currently in a crowded restaurant so he could kiss the smile off his face, but it is what it is. He has big plans to make up for it later.

They return their attention to their menus and eventually, the server comes to take their orders and collect their menus. When he's gone, Louis gazes at Harry across the table.

"Tell me something I don't know about you," he says.

Harry breathes out a laugh. "Like what?"

Louis shrugs. "Anything."

Harry purses his lips, brow furrowing as he thinks. "I was in a band in secondary called White Eskimo. We won Battle of the Bands once."

Louis laughs softly. "Clearly you were made to be a star."

Harry grins. "Tell me something about you."

"I was in a band too. The Rogue. We did not win Battle of the Bands," Louis says with a cheeky smile.

Harry giggles. "Well, I still think you're a star."

"Keep talking, Styles. You might get lucky tonight," Louis winks.

Harry laughs a bit too loudly and a couple people glance their way. Louis doesn't even notice. He's too focused on the smile on Harry's face and the way his eyes dance.

They pull into Harry's driveway later that evening and Louis looks over at him.

"Shall I walk you to the door?" he teases.

Harry giggles. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't," he says, exiting the car.

Louis grins and gets out, following him up to the door.

Harry puts the key in and pauses, smirking as he glances back at Louis. "Come in for a cup of coffee?"

"Sounds lovely," Louis says.

Harry winks at him and finally opens the door, letting them both in. He shuts it behind Louis, setting his keys aside.

Louis steps forward then, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him softly.

Harry giggles against his lips. "So that's a 'no' on the coffee?"

Louis snickers. "I guess it's time to come clean. This entire night was just a ploy to get you into bed."

Harry gasps, clutching imaginary pearls before breaking into a smirk. "Funny. Fits quite nicely with my plan to get you naked."

Louis laughs. "Then let's get to bed and get naked."

Harry grins, giving Louis another kiss before taking his hand and leading him up to the bedroom.

Louis steps up to Harry as soon as the door shuts behind them and pushes his collar aside just enough to suck at his neck.

Harry moans softly, hands resting on Louis's waist. Louis sucks until there's a mark, then soothes it with his tongue before looking up at Harry with a smirk.

"Proud of yourself?" Harry asks a bit breathlessly.

"Mm. Been wanting to do that all night," Louis confirms.

"My makeup artist is not going to be happy with me."

"Who says you have to cover it?" Louis teases, lightly brushing his finger over it and enjoying the way it makes Harry shiver.

Harry snorts. "My entire management team, I'm sure."

Louis scrunches his nose in distaste. "How dare they ruin my masterpiece."

Harry laughs. "Hey," he says, sliding his hands down to grab Louis's arse. "At least I'll have it as a reminder of what is shaping up to be a fantastic night."

Louis grins, leaning up to kiss him deeply. They undress each other carefully, not wanting to ruin either suit.

Harry falls into bed while Louis grabs the supplies. When he turns around, Harry's idly stroking himself.

Louis groans softly. "Fuck, that's hot," he says as he climbs up between Harry's legs.

Harry smirks. "I can prep myself if you want to watch."

Louis swallows hard passing the lube over to Harry.

Harry laughs softly, taking it from him. He coats his fingers and Louis can already feel his own cock hardening as he watches Harry's hand drop down between his legs.

Harry slips two fingers into himself, his other hand wrapping around his cock again. He pumps steadily, head falling back as he groans.

Louis breathes shakily. He wants to tell Harry nevermind, that he'll do the prep himself, but then Harry gasps, cock twitching in his hand, and Louis is transfixed. He takes hold of his own cock, stroking steadily as Harry slides a third finger into himself. A loud whine escapes Harry's throat, his hips arching off the bed and Louis knows he's found that sweet spot inside him.

Harry writhes, panting heavily, and Louis feels a bit of precome leak from his own cock. He's not sure how much longer he can last like this.

Thankfully, Harry seems to reach his limit as well. He pulls his fingers out and tips his head up to look at Louis. His cheeks are flushed a bright red that extends down his neck and chest. His pupils are blown so only a ring of green remains.

"I need you, Louis," he says, tossing the lube to him.

Louis gets the condom on as quickly as he can, fingers fumbling in his haste. He gets himself lubed and shuffles forward, pressing into Harry.

Harry moans loudly, head falling back again. Louis leans down, burying his face in his neck as he thrusts inside him. Harry clings to him, wrapping his legs around him as Louis picks up the pace.

"You feel so good," Louis says. "So fucking good."

Harry moans and Louis presses kisses to his neck. He slips his hand down between them, wrapping it around Harry's cock. Harry's breath catches as Louis begins to stroke him.

Louis shifts his hips and when Harry cries out, he knows he's found the right spot. He hits it with more purpose as he strokes Harry. Chills run through his own body with every sound he elicits from Harry.

Harry begins shaking beneath him, fingers digging into Louis's back as he comes. Louis lifts his head to gaze at him and the sight of Harry's face twisted in pleasure is enough to send Louis over the edge. He drops his face into Harry's shoulder, moaning loudly.

They're both shivering and when Louis slips out of Harry, they both gasp. Louis feels their breathing sync and it calms him. He nuzzles Harry's neck, hearing Harry hum in contentment.

"We get better every time," Harry says.

Louis giggles. "Practice makes perfect."

Harry squeezes him gently and Louis sighs softly.

"Do you have to leave tomorrow?" Louis asks.

"I'm starting to think I should cancel the remainder of the tour."

"Yes. Do that. Stay in bed with me instead."

Harry laughs softly. "I wish." He kisses Louis's temple. "See if you can take a week off from work when I get back. We'll go somewhere. Hide away. Just us."

Louis lifts his head then. "Really? You mean that?"

Harry nods. "I like hiding away after a tour anyway. Helps me unwind." He smiles slightly, cupping Louis's cheek. "And I seem to recall how much you enjoy having me to yourself."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "I do enjoy it. Very much." He leans down, kissing Harry softly. "Thank you."

"I'll spend my free time finding a place for us to stay. It'll give me something to focus on while I'm missing you."

Louis groans, dropping his face into Harry's neck again. "You know when you say things like that, it gets harder for me to let you go."

Harry hugs him tighter. "We'll FaceTime as much as we can. And we've still got the wedding."

"That's two months away," Louis grumbles. "Twice as long as last time."

"I know," Harry says gently.

Louis sighs softly. "What time do we have to wake up in the morning?"

"Seven," Harry says.

"We should clean up and get some sleep."

Louis kisses his neck before sliding off of him. He walks into the bathroom, hearing Harry following. They get cleaned off, leaving the rags in the sink. Harry begins his nighttime routine while Louis brushes his teeth beside him. It pains him how much he missed even the simplest things like this when Harry was gone. And now he's leaving again.

He finishes before Harry, something he's used to by now, and heads back to bed, getting comfortable while he waits for Harry.

Harry emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later, looking soft and sleepy, his eyes drooping a bit, feet shuffling on the carpet. He climbs into bed and Louis pulls him close, sinking into his warmth.

They wake in the morning to the sound of Harry's alarm.

Louis groans softly, tightening his grasp on Harry. "Morning," he mumbles.

Harry sighs. "Morning."

Louis kisses his temple. He scrunches his nose a bit as the alarm continues to blare and finally rolls over just enough to grab Harry's phone and shut it off. He sets the phone back on the nightstand and wraps his arm around Harry again.

"I hate mornings but this one really blows," Louis says.

Harry finally lifts his head, resting it on the pillow. "Call me tonight when you get home from work."

"I will," Louis promises.

Harry kisses him softly. "I have to start getting ready. Shower with me?"

Louis snorts. "Like I would ever pass up naked time with you."

Harry giggles and they finally separate, climbing out of bed and heading into the bathroom.

Louis notices that Harry's chewing on his lip as he packs the last of his things into his holdall.

"Everything alright, Haz?"

Harry glances over at him. "Yeah. Fine"

Louis arches an eyebrow and Harry seems to realize he's not getting out of it that easily. Louis watches him walk over to a small chest on the dresser and extract something. He turns it over in his hand before looking at Louis.

"I wasn't sure if I should give this to you. I thought it might be too fast, but…" Harry swallows hard, opening his palm to show Louis a key. Louis's eyes widen as Harry continues. "It's the key to my place. This isn't me asking you to move in. Not… Not yet. I'm just asking you to stay here while I'm gone. My house is cold and empty without you. I want to think about you waiting here for me to come home."

Louis breathes deeply. He steps forward, pulling Harry into his arms and hugging him tightly. Harry's arms slip around his waist.

"Of course I'll stay here." Louis says. "Fuck. My own flat isn't the same. I missed you and this house."

Harry buries his face in Louis's neck. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too, Haz," Louis says quietly.

Louis has to admit it's comforting to return to Harry's that night, even if Harry isn't there. He grabs himself a quick snack, realizing he'll need to collect some things from his flat and run to the supermarket tomorrow, then heads upstairs to get settled in bed and FaceTime Harry.

When Harry appears, Louis can't help but laugh.

"Are you wearing a hoodie with your own name on it?"

Harry smiles sheepishly. "It's comfortable."

"It looks comfortable," Louis admits.

Harry smirks slightly. "I can send you one. These are tour crew exclusives, but I'm the boss so…" He trails off with a shrug.

Louis laughs softly. "Send me that one. So it smells like you."

Harry grins. "I'll send it out tomorrow."

Louis strokes his thumb over Harry's image on his screen. "I found articles about our date, by the way."

"Oh?"

"There's a photo of your hand on my back when we walked in that's circulating pretty widely." When Harry smirks, Louis arches an eyebrow. "You staged that, didn't you?"

Harry grins. "They needed a photo. I wanted to make sure it was a good one."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Well, it's cute and you definitely staked your claim on me."

"Speaking of staking claims…" Harry says. "My team was not happy with you and it took an extra twenty minutes to make sure the mark wouldn't show on stage."

Louis cackles. "I'm not even sorry."

\-----

"So…" Louis begins during one of their chats. "Crazy thing's happened and I think I've got a few shows lined up all over London."

"That's amazing!" Harry says. It's not quite as enthusiastic as it could be. He's on the Australian leg now and had insisted on talking at the same time for Louis, even if it means Harry's now waking up ridiculously early.

Louis laughs softly. "Thanks. I think it's your fans again. Pubs are calling me! Not the other way around! It's incredible. Checked my Twitter this morning. Haven't used it in months. Hundred thousand followers. No idea how they found me. I've followed you, by the way, so follow me back, wanker."

Harry laughs. "Alright. Give me a sec." He fiddles with his phone and Louis's dings with a notification that makes him grin.

_@Harry_Styles is now following you!_

"Happy?" Harry asks.

"Very," Louis says.

Harry chuckles. "My fans will be all over that in about ten seconds. Be prepared for more followers and entire articles detailing why this is proof that we're together."

Louis shrugs. "Doesn't bother me anymore. We are together so let them speculate."

Harry chews his lip. "Thank you for being so understanding."

Louis smiles softly. "You're worth it."

\-----

Louis's buzzing the night of his first show. The manager's told him they've had to turn people away at the door and he's already asked Louis to book another night.

Perrie and Niall are at a table reserved for them at the front. There's a small stage this time. An actual, proper stage. It's a novelty for Louis and he gets a bit of a thrill just jogging up the couple steps.

"Hello, everyone," he says once he reaches the mic. "'m Louis Tomlinson." The place erupts in screams and Louis grins, taking it all in for a moment. "Let's get to it then, yeah?" The crowd responds with more screams.

Louis laughs and begins playing. He realizes then that Perrie is holding up her phone. He glances down, suspecting she's recording him but she just smirks, arching an eyebrow.

Midway through the show, he gets a surprise. It's not obvious at first because it only starts with a couple people, but by the second chorus of the song, more voices have joined in and he realizes they're singing along. Niall spins in his seat, gazing around the room in bewilderment and it takes everything Louis has to make it through the song in one piece. He has to pause between songs to compose himself.

At the end of the show, he climbs off the stage only to be swarmed instantly by girls wanting autographs and photos. When he finally makes it to the table, he practically collapses in his seat.

"Fuck me, I'm exhausted," he says.

Perrie pretends to pout then. "Aww but there's one more fan who's been dying to talk to you."

Louis blinks at her. "What?"

Perrie turns her phone around and there's Harry, grinning like an idiot, waving enthusiastically.

"Hiiiii, Louis! It's your number one fan!" Harry says.

Louis feels like he's on emotional overload and he needs to be anywhere but in this pub. He looks up at Perrie. "Can I?" he asks, motioning to her phone.

"Of course, love," she says, passing it over to him.

Louis takes it carefully, hopping up from his seat and scurrying outside. He finds a little bench a short ways away and sinks down.

"Harry," he breathes out. "Were you on the phone the whole time?"

"Mmhmm. I couldn't miss the first show of your tour!" Harry grins.

Louis breathes out a laugh. "You have got to stop surprising me like this. You're gonna give me a heart attack."

Harry smiles softly. "Aww but I like surprising you."

"Thank you," Louis says. "It means the world to me that you were there."

"Of course," Harry says. "I'm so proud of you, Louis. You were amazing up there."

Louis feels himself tear up as his emotions finally get the better of him and he sniffles, wiping at his eyes. "I really wish you were here right now. I'm feeling all kinds of crazy shit and I miss you so much."

"I miss you too," Harry says gently.

Louis sighs. "Can I call you when I get home?"

"Of course," Harry says.

Louis nods, swallowing hard. "I should get back inside."

"Okay. Talk to you later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Louis says quietly.

Louis kisses his hand, touching it to the camera. He waits for Harry to do the same before disconnecting. It takes a few minutes and a few deep breaths for him to feel mentally prepared to head back inside.

Louis calls Harry as soon as he's settled in bed.

Harry appears on the screen, smiling sleepily. "Hello," he says, rubbing at his eyes.

"Oh no! Did I wake you?"

Harry shrugs. "'s'ok. I was napping while I waited for you."

"Harry… You don't have to talk now. You can go back to sleep."

"Nope," Harry says. "'m up. I want to talk to my boyfriend."

Louis snickers. "Let me just go find him for you."

"Heyyyyyy," Harry protests.

Louis smiles softly. "You're cute when you wake up."

"I miss waking up with you."

"I miss it too."

Harry runs a hand through his hair. "How was the rest of your night?"

"It was good. Signed a lot of autographs. Took a lot of photos. Bit exhausting, honestly. I don't know how you keep the energy going the way you do."

Harry shrugs. "You get used to it after a while."

"Well I hope that day comes soon. I'm knackered."

"Sounds like you're the one who needs to get some sleep," Harry teases.

Louis laughs softly. "I want to talk to my boyfriend."

Harry laughs.

"How was your show last night?" Louis asks.

Harry shrugs. "It was good. I miss seeing you from B stage. The shows haven't been the same since."

Louis sighs. "I miss watching you. You're so beautiful up there."

"Next time, we'll tour together," Harry says. "So we can both be at every show."

Louis laughs softly. "Sounds like a plan."

\------

Louis calls Harry after his second show, practically vibrating with pent up energy still leftover from the night.

"Harry!" He exclaims as soon as Harry appears on his screen.

Harry laughs. "Show went well?"

"It was fucking amazing! The place was packed and they sang more of my songs this time. I've already got another night booked. It was incredible."

"I'm happy for you. I wish I could have been there. I'll find videos later." Harry chews at his lip, seeming to think for a moment. "Have you thought about getting a proper agent? You could book bigger venues… or venues outside of London. You might even get a record deal."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "You really think I could get an agent?"

"I know you could. You have the talent and you're gaining the fan support."

Louis swallows hard. "I'll think about it, yeah?"

"Let me know what you decide," Harry smiles slightly. "Don't forget, I do this for a living. I know people."

Louis laughs softly. "Thanks, Haz. You're the best."

\-----

On one of his days off, Louis realizes he's going a bit stir crazy and decides to head to his flat to hang out for the afternoon. He texts Perrie and Niall ahead of time to give them fair warning, not wanting to walk in on anything unseemly. He doesn't even want to know what they've done in the flat with all the time he's been gone.

As it turns out, Perrie is working, and when he walks in, it's just Niall alone on the couch with a beer, watching footie.

"Hey, Tommo," Niall says, looking up at him. "Grab a beer and have a seat."

Louis laughs softly, wandering over to where Niall's got a six pack on the table and plucking one out, cracking it open before sinking down beside him. He takes a swig and sighs softly.

"Missing Harry?" Niall teases.

Louis flicks him off. "Got bored."

"Aww and here I was thinking you wanted to spend time with me."

Louis snorts. "I pretend to like you for Perrie's sake."

Niall clutches his heart dramatically. "You couldn't tell me this while I still had time to find a new best man?"

Louis laughs. "How is all the wedding shit going anyway?"

Niall shrugs. "Good. Done. Kinda crazy. Seems like a technicality now, ya know?" He chews on his lip. "I'm just ready to do it. I know she's mine forever and I'm ready to celebrate because I somehow hit the jackpot with my soulmate."

Louis thinks for a moment. "Isn't that what a soulmate is though? They're supposed to be the most perfect person for you. Everyone's supposed to feel like they hit the jackpot."

Niall shrugs. "Well yeah but it doesn't always work out, does it? Your parents divorced. My parents divorced. I thought for sure it'd never work out for me. And then… there she was. The most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. And I spent five years waiting for something to go wrong. For her to realize I'm not good enough for her. But she never did. Even when I watch too much footie and get a bit rowdy. Even when I leave my dirty briefs on the bedroom floor. She's got the patience of a saint, that woman. She's never left me and I know she never will."

Louis swallows hard, glancing down at the string on his own finger. It looks the same as it always does, short and bright red. He wonders what his soulmate is doing at this very moment and finds it hard to think about. He can't imagine someone more perfect for him than Harry and he doesn't want to.

"You doing alright there, Tommo?" Niall asks.

"Hmm?" Louis looks up quickly. "Yeah. Fine. 'm fine."

Niall eyes him carefully. "You know, you don't have to end up with your soulmate. Most people do, but it's ok not to. People aren't as bad about it as they used to be."

Louis sighs. "I know. Part of me just wants to know who it is and the other part hopes I never find out."

Niall breathes out a laugh. "Don't really think the second one's an option, mate. I've never heard of it."

"Me either," Louis admits. He shrugs, picking at the paper wrapped around his bottle. "Still, maybe if they're perfect for me, they've found someone else too."

Niall chuckles. "You never know."

Louis looks up at him. "I'm glad you and Perrie worked out. I never really cared much for soulmates until you came along and swept her off her feet. She's her happiest when she's with you."

Niall smiles. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

Louis holds up his bottle. "To the future, eh?"

Niall laughs, clinking his bottle against it. "To the future."

Louis leaves with enough time to get back for his call with Harry. He tugs on the hoodie Harry sent him, just wanting to feel close to him. The scent is mostly gone by now, but it's warm and soft and it just feels like Harry. He knows it's a bit silly but he doesn't really care.

Harry laughs softly when he appears on the screen. "Are you wearing my hoodie?"

"Yeah," Louis says sheepishly. "I missed you."

"So when you're not wearing it, you don't miss me? Good to know," Harry teases.

Louis laughs softly. "Fuck off. I always miss you."

Harry pouts. "I always miss you too."

"Just a few more days, Haz."

Harry smiles softly. "I'm counting them down."

\-----

Louis is pacing the sitting room. He's tried sitting still, but he just can't. He and Harry had agreed that he shouldn't meet Harry at the airport, but Harry's plane landed almost two hours ago and Louis's really wishing he'd said to hell with it and gone anyway.

A car door shuts outside and Louis freezes, listening hard. He hears luggage wheels on the pavement and resists the urge to run to the door. The handle turns and Louis's heart pounds as Harry opens the door and steps inside, grinning. He looks like Louis's sun and moon and whole fucking world.

"Hello, love," Harry says.

Louis can't contain himself anymore. He closes the distance, pulling Harry into his arms and kissing him deeply. Harry moans softly against his lips, his arms encircling Louis's waist and dragging him closer. Louis pushes Harry until he's backed against the wall. They're panting against each other's lips, scarcely able to catch their breath as they kiss. Louis grinds his hips against Harry and Harry's breath stutters, his fingers digging into Louis's back.

"Louis… I want you inside me."

"Fuck yes," Louis says. He kisses Harry deeply, his own cock hardening from the way Harry's already trembling against him.

He forces himself to pull away, taking Harry's hand and practically hauling him up the stairs. Their clothes end up scattered every which way and Louis grabs the necessary items from the drawer while Harry gets comfortable on the bed.

Louis gazes over him as he crawls between his legs. He coats his fingers with lube, placing two at Harry's entrance, sliding them in carefully. Harry moans, pressing down onto his fingers as his head falls back. Louis begins pumping steadily. He hits Harry's prostate and Harry gasps, fingers clenching in the sheets.

"Fuck, Louis, I need you."

Louis swallows hard, extracting his fingers. He rolls on the condom and coats himself with lube before scooting up and pressing into Harry. Harry reaches out for him and Louis leans down, kissing him deeply as he begins rocking inside him.

Harry's hips find a rhythm with his and Louis moans against his lips. He slides a hand down between them, wrapping it around Harry's cock and stroking him in time with their movements.

Harry's head falls back and Louis kisses along his neck. He nips gently and Harry whines softly. He rocks faster inside him as he sucks hard at Harry's collarbone. Harry's shaking beneath him and the way his body tightens around Louis's cock makes him dizzy.

He gives another firm suck at Harry's skin and Harry cries out as he comes. When he unclenches from Louis's cock, Louis is able to give a few more quick thrusts before his spills out inside him.

He eases out of Harry and collapses on top of him, still feeling Harry shivering beneath him. He kisses Harry's neck as Harry's fingers trace over his back.

"I missed you so much," Louis murmurs. "Next time you tour, I'm quitting both my jobs and following you everywhere."

Harry breathes out a laugh. "I will gladly take you with me."

Louis finally lifts his head, gazing down at him. "Just one more month and then we have a whole week to ourselves."

Harry giggles. "I've just decided on a few rules for the week."

Louis arches an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"No phones. No clothes. Sex every single night," Harry says proudly.

Louis laughs. "I think we can work something out."

They finally pull themselves out of bed a few minutes later to shower. When they're done, Harry unpacks his bag and repacks it with fresh clothes while Louis throws some things into a holdall. It's so natural to Louis to maneuver around Harry as they collect various things from around the room, tidying up as they go so it's not a wreck when they return.

When they're finished, they grab a quick breakfast from the kitchen before heading out. It's only a few hours to Doncaster and they'd decided to drive to keep a low profile and have a bit of extra time together.

Harry glances over at Louis as they ride down the motorway. "I don't think you've ever told me how you met Perrie and Niall."

"Nah. Don't think I have." Louis shrugs. "I met Perrie first. We've known each other since secondary. Nothing too crazy. We worked at the same shop. Became friends pretty quickly. She laughed at all the stupid shit I did for attention back then." Louis laughs softly. "Which got us fired from the same shop." Harry arches an eyebrow and Louis giggles. "It wasn't anything big. We used to make announcements over the intercom and whenever it was Perrie's turn, I'd try to make her laugh by pulling stupid faces or whispering rude things. One day, she didn't switch the mic off properly and I proceeded to tell the whole store there was a sale on cock rings in aisle twelve."

Harry snorts. "Bloody hell, Louis."

Louis winces. "We worked at Toys R Us."

Harry's eyes widen and he turns to Louis briefly before looking back at the road. He bursts out laughing and Louis can't help but laugh with him.

"Louis, that's terrible!" Harry says.

"I know. I know. Perrie and my mother gave me hell for it for weeks. The worst part is, I actually liked that job." Louis shrugs. "Perrie and I became inseparable though. We still laugh about it sometimes."

"When did she meet Niall?" Harry asks.

"A few years later. I resented him at first because he was always around." Louis breathes out a laugh. "Then, I realized he was kind of an idiot. The fun kind. And even though I was annoyed that he was always around, he never seemed annoyed that I was always around. I started to notice how happy he made Perrie and it's been the three of us against the world ever since."

"That's really sweet," Harry says.

"Yeah. I love em. I'm glad they're finally doing this. It's been a long time coming."

Harry chews on his lip, looking over at him. "Thank you for asking me to come."

Louis reaches over, resting a hand on Harry's thigh. "'Course. You're my boyfriend. You're part of the pack now."

Harry grins, dropping his hand down to take hold of Louis's, twining their fingers together. "I'm excited for this weekend."

"Me too," Louis says, squeezing his hand gently.

They stop a bit later for lunch. The cashier's eyes widen almost comically when she realizes who's just walked in.

"We're about to go viral again," Louis whispers and Harry giggles.

They place their orders and collect their food, finding a table in the far corner. Harry sits with his back to the door in an effort to keep a lower profile, despite the wide open seating area.

Louis digs into his chips, munching on them. "It's weird to me when people have what is probably a perfectly normal reaction to you," he says. "I think I missed that phase."

Harry smirks. "How so?"

Louis shrugs. "You were just the cute curly boy from X Factor."

"Awwww," Harry coos. "You thought I was cute?"

Louis laughs. "Fuck off. Course I did."

Harry raises an eyebrow. "That's not the impression you left me with."

Louis snorts. "I had quite literally run into the most gorgeous person I'd ever seen. I was flustered."

Harry blushes deeply, picking at his burger. "I thought you were cute too."

"To think, we could have been together this whole time," Louis jokes.

Harry's brow furrows then and he frowns. "Louis…" he says.

Louis blinks at him. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Harry sighs, shaking his head. "Nevermind. It's… nothing. Just forget it."

"Harry…" Louis starts.

"Now's not really the time, yeah?" Harry says, cutting him off. "Let's enjoy lunch."

"Okay. I'm sorry if it was something I said."

Harry smiles then. Louis can tell it's a bit forced but he lets it slide. Harry reaches across the table, resting his hand on Louis's.

"It's fine. We're fine. I'm happy we're together now."

Louis smiles softly. "Me too, Haz."

They make it to Doncaster in the early afternoon. Louis had wanted to get an Airbnb for privacy, but Perrie had insisted everyone needed to stay at the same inn near the venue.

Louis sort of hopes they can sneak in and get settled, but when they enter, all hopes are dashed. The place is buzzing with people and he thinks there's absolutely no way the inn has this many rooms.

"Louis!" A female voice practically screeches as they're headed up to the small counter to check-in.

Louis turns to see a short brunette running towards him and laughs, setting his bag down to pull her into his arms.

"Jade. Hello, love. How are you?" he says.

"Wonderful," she says as she pulls back. "I've been giddy for days! I'm so excited!"

Louis laughs. "Right there with you." He rests his hand on Harry's back then. "Jade, this is my boyfriend, Harry. Harry, this is Jade. She's Perrie's chief bridesmaid."

"Pleasure," Harry says, holding out his hand with a grin.

Jade's eyes widen as she shakes it. "Shit. So the rumors are true then." She looks at Louis. "You've been the talk of the town for months."

Louis scrubs a hand over the back of his neck. "Yeah, we've… uh… been trying to keep a low profile. We're not hiding it but we're not confirming it either."

Jade zips her lips. "I won't say a word."

"Thanks. Hey… have you seen my mum?"

"Yeah. I think she's out back. The little ones were getting fussy."

"Ta. Well… we're gonna get settled in. See you in a bit, yeah?"

"Course, darling," Jade kisses his cheek and disappears back into the crowd.

"She seems lovely," Harry says.

Louis nods. "She's known Perrie since they were kids. I've always liked her."

They finally make it to the desk and get their keys, heading up to the room. Louis chucks his bag in a corner and Harry carefully sets his own bag beside it. Louis kicks off his shoes, collapsing in the bed.

"Mm. I could almost use a nap," he says.

Harry laughs, stretching out beside him. "I would not object."

Louis glances over at the clock on the nightstand. "We've got time." He pulls his phone out of his pocket, setting an alarm.

Harry moves closer, resting his head on Louis's chest and draping an arm over his waist.

Louis brushes his fingers through his hair, falling asleep easily.

Louis wakes to the alarm, groaning softly. He reaches over and grabs his phone, swiping the alarm off before tossing it back on the bed and draping his arm over Harry.

Harry snuffles, nuzzling at his chest. "Mm. Hi."

Louis laughs softly. "Hi. Sleep okay?"

"Mmhmm. You?"

"Always do with you."

Harry tips his head up, grinning at him. He leans in, kissing Louis softly. "Did you want to head downstairs?"

Louis yawns, stretching as much as he can with Harry still plastered to his side. "I guess we probably should. I'm sure mum knows we're here. She's dying to meet you."

Harry laughs. "Well, I can't wait to meet her."

Louis grins, kissing him. "You say that now, but you forget, she comes with six more kids."

Harry chuckles. "I'll be fine."

Louis kisses him again before they finally pull themselves up. They freshen up, changing into clothes that are a little nicer than what they traveled in before heading back down into the fray.

Louis feels a few sets of eyes watching them as they wander the small inn. He finds his mum still outside, his oldest sisters sitting with her at a table while the youngest siblings run about the yard.

"Mum!" Louis calls out as he walks towards her.

"Louis!" Jay cries out, jumping up from the table and hurrying to hug him. "Jade told me you were here. What took you so long?"

Louis laughs softly, kissing her cheek before pulling back. "We wanted a quick nap. I didn't sleep last night and we had to get on the road not long after Harry's flight got in."

Jay beams then, turning to Harry with open arms. "Harry, darling, it's so lovely to finally meet you."

Louis watches as Harry's face lights up and he wraps Jay up in a hug as if she were his own family. Louis feels like his heart is about to burst.

"It's lovely to meet you too," Harry says. He kisses her cheek and Jay smiles warmly as she pulls back.

"Lou's told me so much about you. He's quite taken with you," Jay teases.

"Muuuuuum," Louis whinges and Harry smirks at him.

Jay laughs. "Come, Harry. Have a seat. Meet the kids."

"I'd love to!" Harry says and Louis has no choice but to follow.

Jay makes the introductions and luckily, Lottie and Félicité seem more entertained by meeting Louis's boyfriend than by the fact that said boyfriend is Harry Styles.

"So, Harry, Louis tells me you're on tour right now," Jay says once they're all settled again.

"I am, yeah. Just about to start the North American leg, so the timing of this weekend worked out nicely. I had a little break between dates."

"Do you like being on tour?" Lottie asks. "I've always wanted to travel the world."

Harry laughs softly. "I do. It's hard being away from my family… and Louis. The timezones make it especially difficult, but we make it work."

"Awwww," Félicité says. "You guys are so cute."

Louis feels his cheeks heating up. Harry reaches over, resting his hand on his leg.

"Thank you. I think so too, but I'm a bit biased," Harry jokes.

The girls giggle and Louis looks over at Harry. Harry grins at him. He seems so relaxed for someone meeting his partner's whole family. Louis supposes some of it must come with the territory of being famous and constantly dealing with new people, but he also knows normal Harry is different from celebrity Harry. He's just so genuinely warm and kind.

Louis takes Harry's hand, twining their fingers together. He feels Harry squeeze his hand and he allows himself to enjoy being with Harry out in the open for a change.

Perrie and Niall wander out a bit later and Louis and Harry both stand to give them hugs.

"When did you get in?" Perrie asks.

Louis shrugs. "Couple hours ago."

Perrie swats him. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"Ah! Hey!" Louis rubs his arm. "Figured you were busy with wedding stuff. Entertaining guests and all that."

Perrie shrugs. "Mum's mostly taken over today so we can enjoy ourselves. Mind if we hang out? I needed some air."

"Course not," Louis says. "Might need to rethink the seating arrangement though. There aren't enough chairs."

Harry smirks. "I can sit in your lap."

Perrie shrugs. "And I'll sit in Niall's."

Niall laughs, looking to Louis. "Guess we're just the furniture now, mate."

Louis snorts. "I'm his pillow half the time anyway," he says.

Harry grins, kissing his temple. "You're a very good pillow."

Louis laughs and finally takes a seat, tugging Harry's hand until he settles in his lap. Niall and Perrie get comfortable beside them.

Louis wraps his arms around Harry's waist, kissing his shoulder. He hears a shutter sound then and groans.

"Muuuuuum!" He looks at Jay. She's smiling innocently despite the fact that she's still holding her phone.

"What?" she says. "You all looked so cute."

"At least let us pose for a proper photo," Louis protests.

Jay laughs. "Alright. I'll take another one."

"Thank you," Louis says.

Harry shifts a bit so Louis is more visible, then drapes his arms over Louis's. Niall and Perrie settle into a similar pose and the four of them smile at the camera.

"Send it to me!" Perrie says when Jay is done.

"I'd like it too, please," Harry says.

Jay smiles, passing her phone to Harry. "Put your number in. I'll text it to you."

Harry grins, punching his number in and handing the phone back. Harry's phone vibrates a moment later and he laughs when he opens the photo, showing it to Louis.

"We're cute," Harry says quietly.

Louis kisses his shoulder. "Send it to me, yeah?"

Harry grins and texts it to him. Louis makes it his new home screen photo and shows it to Harry. Harry giggles. He turns a bit so he can kiss Louis softly.

"And you didn't want me to sit in your lap," Harry teases.

Louis snorts. "You're lucky you're pretty."

Harry laughs.

They spend most of the day with Jay and the kids. By the end, Louis is exhausted and he can tell Harry is too. Jay leaves when it's time to put Ernest and Doris to bed and after they say their goodbyes, Harry and Louis retreat up to their room.

They strip down, climbing into bed. Harry cuddles up to Louis, tucking his head under Louis's chin. Louis wraps his arms around him.

"I'm glad you're here with me," Louis says. "It's nice just getting to spend time with you like this."

Harry kisses his neck. "There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now."

Louis has to wake up far too early to head over to the manor with the bridal party so they can dress and take a few photos. He leaves Harry in bed to get a bit more sleep and heads downstairs to meet up with Niall and the others.

Ashton and Luke are sprawled on a couple of chairs while Niall himself is nowhere to be found.

"Louis!" Luke calls out, grinning. "How are you, man?"

Louis laughs. "It's way too fucking early to be so chipper."

Ashton rolls his eyes and chuckles. "Leave it to Niall to insist on some ungodly hour and not even show up on time."

"What did Niall do?" Niall asks, wandering into the room. "I know you feckers aren't giving me a hard time on my wedding day!"

"I didn't say anything," Luke says, holding up his hands innocently.

"Thanks, Luke," Ashton says, rolling his eyes fondly.

"Welcome," Luke says with a grin.

Niall cackles. "Alright, you lot. Let's get cracking."

Luke and Ashton hop up and they all head out to the car waiting for them outside.

Niall slides in the front seat and Louis, Ashton, and Luke cram into the back. Niall spins around in his seat as the car sets off.

"Right… here's the rules for today. Number one: it's my day, so what I say goes. Number two: it's your job to make sure there is a drink in my hand at all times during the reception. Number three: don't be dicks. Any questions?"

"Yeah. When did you become Bridezilla?" Louis asks, pleased when Ashton and Luke giggle.

"Oi. What's rule number three?" Niall asks.

"Be as big of a dick to Niall as possible?" Louis says with a cheeky grin.

Niall arches his eyebrow. "Don't make me revoke your best man status."

"If you do, we'll resign," Ashton says.

"Yeah. Resign," Luke agrees.

Niall groans. "I need new friends," he mutters, turning back around in his seat.

"Love you, Nialler!" Louis says, leaning up to give him a big, wet kiss on the cheek.

"Argh!" Niall flinches away, laughing as he wipes his cheek. "Sit your arse down, Tommo, you prick."

Louis grins, sitting back in his seat.

When they arrive at the house, Louis can already hear the girls screeching in one of the upstairs rooms and wonders how they have the energy so early. He notices Niall's fond smile as they pass by the door and surprises himself when he realizes it makes him miss Harry.

The lads shut themselves up in another room further down the hall where their suits are hanging in bags on a rack, labeled with their names.

They grab them and begin changing, folding their regular clothes into separate piles around the room. There's a knock at the door as they're all working on their shirts.

"Who is it?" Niall calls out.

"Me," his father says. "I've got the photographer here. You decent?"

Niall scans the room before replying. "Yeah!"

The door opens and Bobby enters with a young, scruffy-faced gentleman.

"Niall, you remember Christian?" Bobby says.

"I do, yeah," Niall says, stepping forward to shake his hand. "Good to see you. These are my boys, Louis, Ashton, and Luke," he says, motioning to each of them in turn.

"Pleasure," Christian says. "Don't mind me. I'll just take some photos while you're getting ready. Niall, if you could have someone else help with your tie, it'll make for some great photos."

Louis snickers. "He's gonna need help with his tie anyway."

"Rule number three!" Niall retorts, but it only serves to make Louis, Luke, and Ashton laugh.

They continue getting ready. Louis feels a bit odd with a photographer flitting about the whole time and he tries not to think about it.

He can tell as time passes that Niall is getting anxious, swinging his arms or bouncing on his toes.

Louis wanders over to him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Doing alright there, Nialler?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah. Fine. Just…" Niall shrugs. "This is it, you know? The rest of my life. I'm ready. I want to be with her. I just wish I could see her right now. I bet she's so fucking beautiful. I'm ready for this to be over so I can be with her. I haven't seen her since last night. I miss her."

Louis squeezes his shoulder. "You were literally made for each other. I know she's missing you too."

Niall nods. "I know. It's just hard. It's crazy. We've done so many things together but this is like the thing and we have to prepare for it alone."

"Hey, you've got me, yeah? And the others. It's almost time. We'll get you where you need to be."

Niall wraps an arm around him. "Thanks, Tommo. You're a good friend."

"So are you, Nialler. I'm glad it's you. I want nothing less than the best for her."

Niall swallows hard, pulling Louis into his arms. Louis hugs him tightly.

As the time draws closer, Louis, Luke, and Ashton head downstairs to begin their usher responsibilities. Louis finds himself darting every which way, just trying to make sure everything is in order and help direct people to their seats. He's so scattered, he almost doesn't realize Harry's arrived.

He does a double take as Harry strides up the lawn towards him, swallowing hard. Harry's dressed in a black suit with a matching black shirt underneath and it shouldn't work, but it really really does. He's got a small smile on his lips and he gives a little wave as he approaches.

"You look good," Harry says quietly.

"So do you," Louis manages. He glances around, taking Harry's hand and tugging him towards the side of the house. "Come with me."

Harry raises an eyebrow but twines their fingers together, following him. As soon as they're out of the line of sight from the lawn, Louis turns to him, letting go of his hand so he can slide his arms around him and kiss him softly.

Harry's arms slip around his waist and Louis sighs against his lips. For a moment, Louis loses himself, drawing Harry closer, kissing him until he can scarcely catch his breath. He blames it on the atmosphere and the fact that this wedding in particular has got him tangled up in his feelings.

He finally breaks the kiss as noise from the arriving guests permeates the air and reminds him what he's supposed to be doing right now. He sighs softly, resting his forehead against Harry's.

"Sorry. Needed to get that out of my system," he says.

Harry laughs softly. "You never have to apologize for kissing me," he says, emphasizing his point with another kiss.

Louis swallows hard when he pulls back. "I should probably get back out there. I just… fuck, you're so fucking beautiful, Harry."

Harry blushes. "So are you, Louis." He kisses him one more time before pulling away and Louis feels the loss of his warmth deeply.

"Show me to my seat?" Harry asks, looping his arm into Louis's.

Louis nods and leads him back down the lawn. Luckily, his mum and Dan have already arrived and Louis says a quick hello before placing Harry in their row.

He gets to work again seating guests until it slowly calms down and Niall finally enters at the front. Louis gives him a quick thumbs up and Niall laughs softly before taking his place, turning his back. Louis and Ashton take seats in the first row while Luke stays at the back to seat last minute arrivals.

The music starts a few minutes later and the guests rise, turning towards the end of the aisle. Perrie steps forward, arm linked with her father's. She's positively glowing, her hair pulled back with only a couple tendrils framing her face. Her dress is strapless, hugging her until it fans out at the bottom. Louis catches her gaze and her grin widens excitedly before she focuses on the aisle again.

Louis's eyes find Harry then, almost without meaning to. It only takes a moment for Harry to look at him, smiling softly. Louis wants nothing more than to be by his side in that moment, to hold his hand and rest his head against his shoulder. He swallows hard, suddenly missing him, and it must show on his face because Harry tips his head, smile slipping. Louis scrambles for a way to communicate with him that won't be obvious, but he's snapped from his daze when they're all asked to take their seats so the ceremony can begin.

Louis listens to the vows and watches the officiant wrap a red ribbon around his friends' hands, symbolizing the string that binds them together. He feels a tug at his finger and glances down, brow furrowing, but nothing's changed. His string is still as short as ever and goes nowhere.

He refocuses on the ceremony and feels himself tearing up as he watches two of his favorite people promise to love each other forever. When he finds himself wishing he could have that with someone, he realizes with startling clarity that he already does.

The rest of the ceremony goes by in a blur. He's dizzy with his feelings towards his friends and his desperate need to talk to Harry. His emotions are wound just a bit too tightly and he's amazed that he manages to walk Jade back down the aisle without tripping them both.

The bridal party is ushered into a separate room for photos and refreshments while the guests make their way into the ballroom. Louis feels like he's about to burst. He just wants to be with Harry. Still, he knows he needs to be a good friend and he tries to stay calm as he smiles and poses for what feels like a thousand different photos.

They're released only after most of the guests have found their seats and Louis scans the crowd for Harry. He finally spots him seated up near the sweetheart table with Luke and Ashton's girlfriends. Their eyes lock and Louis makes a beeline for him.

Harry stands as he approaches and Louis wraps his arms around him, hugging him tightly. Harry folds him up in his arms, running his fingers through his hair.

"What's the matter?" Harry asks. "Are you okay?"

Louis nods against him. "I need to talk to you," he says quietly.

Harry breathes out a laugh. "The other guests are really gonna start getting suspicious if we keep sneaking off together."

"Let them," Louis mumbles. He pulls back, taking Harry's hand, leading him back into the hallway.

They wander the main floor until they find a spare room to lock themselves in. Louis lets go of Harry's hand, wringing his own together as he gazes up at him.

Harry's eyeing him warily now. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asks.

Louis nods. "I've just… I've been thinking and I had this epiphany. I couldn't keep it in any longer. This might not be the best time but I couldn't wait."

Harry laughs softly "For someone who can't keep it in, you sure are taking a while to get to the point, love."

Louis breathes out a laugh, feeling himself tear up as everything comes flooding back to the surface. Harry's brow furrows and he steps forward, taking Louis's face in his hands.

"Talk to me," he says gently.

"I love you," Louis's voice shakes but he makes himself keep going, knowing he needs to get it all out now. "I love you so fucking much. I don't care that we're not soulmates. I love you and I choose you. You're it for me, Harry."

Harry's eyes widen and his throat bobs as he swallows. "Louis..." he breathes out. He opens and closes his mouth a few times as tears begin to slip down his cheeks. He finally seems to give up on speaking and kisses Louis deeply. Louis's eyes fall shut as he wraps his arms around Harry, sinking into him.

Harry breaks the kiss slowly, thumbs brushing over Louis's cheeks to wipe away his tears. Harry's fully crying now and that only makes it harder for Louis to control himself.

"I love you too," Harry says quietly.

Louis can't believe how much of a relief it is to hear those words from Harry's lips. He feels them burrowing into his heart, etching themselves deep into his bones. He kisses Harry again and Harry's arms wrap around him, clinging to him. Louis feels like they'll never be able to hold each other tightly enough.

When they finally have to break the kiss to breathe, Harry's eyes are red-rimmed and his face is flushed. Louis knows he's not faring much better and he can't bring himself to care.

"I wish I could take you back to the inn right now," Louis murmurs. "I need you."

"I know," Harry says. "I need you too."

Louis brings a hand up to brush his fingers over Harry's cheek and Harry tilts his head into his touch.

"We should probably get back out there," Louis says quietly.

"We should," Harry says.

Louis swallows hard. "Can we just enjoy ourselves tonight? I don't care who sees us. I just want to be with you."

Harry's brow furrows. "I'd never ask you to hide at a time like this." He rests their foreheads together. "I love you, Louis. I've loved you for so long. Let people find out. I don't care."

Louis feels himself tearing up again and laughs softly. "Christ, Harry… I only just stopped crying."

Harry laughs. "Sorry," he whispers.

Louis kisses him. "It's fine." He sighs softly, wiping at his own eyes. "We really need to get cleaned up before we go back to the ballroom."

Harry chuckles. "Yeah, we do."

Louis smiles, gazing at him for a moment, "I love you," he says, because he's still not over the novelty of it.

Harry grins. "I love you too."

When they finally manage to break apart, they seek out a bathroom, splashing water on their faces and using cool, wet paper towels to try and reduce some of the puffiness. They straighten their hair and clothes, making themselves as presentable as possible before finally linking hands and heading back to the ballroom.

Luckily, some last minute guests are still trickling in, so their entrance isn't too conspicuous. They get settled at their table where a lively conversation is already underway. Harry drops his hand down, resting it on Louis's thigh and Louis feels himself relax for the first time since he woke up.

As the night wears on, the dancing begins, and Louis's got a hell of a buzz going. It takes a few songs, but he finally manages to wrangle Perrie for a dance. Her hair is already starting to break free from its binds, but she doesn't seem to care. Her cheeks are tinged pink and she's absolutely radiant.

"You look amazing, Pez," Louis says.

Perrie grins. "Ta, love. So do you."

Louis breathes out a laugh. "Ta. How are you feeling?"

"Fantastic! I can't believe this is all real. The whole day's felt like a dream since I woke up."

Louis looks around the room. "Everything turned out really nice."

Perrie nods. "I'm so happy with how it all turned out. It's been so perfect." She thinks for a moment. "Honestly though, part of me is just ready to have Niall to myself. We haven't truly been alone since yesterday morning and I miss him."

"He said something similar this morning, you know," Louis says gently.

"Did he? Oh, Ni," Perrie says wistfully, then laughs. "I'm not usually so dependent on him. What is wrong with me today?"

Louis shrugs. "Nothing. This is quite literally the biggest day of your life together so far and I imagine you've spent more time talking about him today instead of talking to him. It's no wonder you miss him."

Perrie laughs. "You're not wrong."

Louis smiles softly. "Why don't you sneak off with him for a few minutes?"

Perrie bites her lip. "You really think I should?"

Louis snorts. "Harry and I have run off twice already. You absolutely should."

Perrie giggles. "Okay." She leans in, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks, Louis."

"Course, love."

Perrie pulls away to seek out Niall and Louis looks around for Harry. He spots him a little ways off, dancing with Jay. They're laughing about something and Harry looks so at ease with her that it makes Louis's heart swoop in his chest.

Harry must feel him watching because he glances over, smiling softly when he catches his gaze. Louis gives a small wave and Harry turns back to Jay, whispering something to her before he kisses her cheek and releases her. Jay responds and rubs his arm and Harry grins, finally making his way over to Louis.

"May I have this dance?" Harry asks, holding out his hand.

Louis smiles softly as he takes it, allowing Harry to lead him to a clear spot on the floor. Harry turns to him, keeping hold of his hand as he settles his free hand on Louis's waist. Louis rests his hand on Harry's shoulder and allows Harry to guide them in a slow circle.

"Hi," Harry says.

Louis laughs softly. "Hi."

Harry rests their foreheads together. "I feel a bit like that kid in every movie who finally gets to dance with his crush at the prom."

Louis giggles. "Aww! You have a crush on me?"

Harry laughs. "Mmhmm. Might even be in love with you."

Louis kisses him softly. "Well, that's convenient, because I'm in love with you too."

Harry smiles and Louis is struck by just how lucky he really is. It amazes him that he's the one who gets to gaze into those bright green eyes and see the man he loves gazing back. He breathes in deeply, laying his head on Harry's shoulder, feeling Harry press a kiss to his temple.

"Alright, love?" Harry asks quietly.

"Better than," Louis says. "Just making myself emotional again."

Harry chuckles. "Care to elaborate?"

Louis shrugs. "I like looking into your eyes and seeing my boyfriend." He swallows hard. "Fuck, I can't believe you're already leaving me again the day after tomorrow."

Harry sighs. "I know. It's only a month this time though and then we'll have a full week just for us."

Louis presses a kiss to his neck. "I'm looking forward to it."

"Me too," Harry says.

Towards the end of the night, Harry and Louis shuffle back to their table, exhausted and a little bit sore. They drape their jackets over their chairs and Harry pushes his chair closer to Louis's so he can lean against him. Louis wraps an arm around his shoulders, kissing his temple.

"Tired, love?" Louis asks.

"Mmhmm."

"Why don't you go back to the inn?"

Harry shakes his head. "I want to stay with you."

"I've still got to clean up once this whole thing is over," Louis reminds him.

Harry shrugs. "'s fine. I'll help." He yawns then and Louis laughs softly.

"You're so stubborn."

Harry smiles sleepily and Louis kisses him.

They only pull themselves up again when Perrie and Niall make their way over. Perrie's arm is linked with Niall's and despite her smile, Louis can tell Niall's the only thing keeping her on her feet.

"We're about to head out," Niall says. "Wanted to say goodbye now since we're leaving so early tomorrow." He claps Louis on the shoulder. "Thanks for everything today, Tommo."

"Course," Louis says. "I'm so happy for you guys. Let me know when you get back from the honeymoon, yeah? We'll hang out and you can tell me all about it."

Perrie smiles softly. "We'll be sure to," she promises. She lets go of Niall to hug Louis tightly. "Love you, Louis. Thank you for your help today."

Louis kisses her cheek. "Love you too, Pez."

Perrie pulls back, turning her attention to Harry then. Harry wraps his arms around her and Louis loves the easy affection between them.

"Thank you for making time to be here, Harry," Perrie says.

Harry smiles softly. "Wouldn't have missed it for the world," he says.

Perrie grins as she pulls away, tucking herself against Niall again.

Niall holds his hand out to Harry and Harry shakes it.

"Thanks for coming, Harry. We'll grab pints when you're done with tour, yeah?"

Harry beams. "Yeah."

Niall grins. "Right. Well then. Best be off. Just need to find mum and then we're leaving. Catch you later!"

"Bye!" Louis says and Harry waves.

Louis turns to Harry when they're gone, smiling up at him as he wraps his arms around his neck. He feels Harry's arms slip around his waist and kisses him softly.

"I can't believe Perrie used to be a super fan of yours," Louis says.

Harry arches an eyebrow. "Used to be?" he teases.

Louis laughs. "You know what I mean." He kisses him again. "I like seeing you together now. The way you get along. With both of them, really. It started out just me and Pez, then it became the three of us, and now, it feels like it's becoming the four of us. That means everything to me."

Harry swallows hard. "Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it."

Louis smiles softly. "Hey, you've been the one making sure to save seats for them at your shows… and scheming with Perrie to surprise me." Harry laughs and Louis continues. "You're so open and so bloody charming. It's one of the things I love about you."

Harry buries his face in his neck then, hugging him tightly. "Thank you for loving me."

Louis breathes out a laugh, brushing his fingers through his hair. "It's the easiest thing I've ever done."

It's after midnight when they finally make it back to their room. Harry's been plastered to Louis's side for the remainder of the night and he's currently draped over his back as Louis fumbles with the keys to open the door.

He finally manages to get it open and Harry doesn't even bother detach from him as they shuffle in. Louis laughs softly as Harry reaches with one arm to shut the door and flick on the light before latching back onto him.

"Come on, Haz," Louis says fondly. "Let go. We need to get ready for bed."

Harry kisses the back of his neck. "But you're warm."

Louis giggles. "The bed will be much warmer, I promise." There's a moment's pause and Harry doesn't move. "Christ, I can practically hear you pouting back there." Harry's only response is a muffled giggle.

Louis realizes he's not going to win this one and he finally manages to get Harry to maneuver so he can at least turn around to face him.

"You're an idiot," Louis says.

"Mm. But I'm your idiot," Harry says.

Louis laughs, leaning up to kiss him. "You are my idiot and I love you."

Harry smiles softly. "I love you too."

Louis swallows hard. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say those words to me."

Harry kisses his forehead. "I will never get tired of saying them. I love you."

"I love you too," Louis murmurs.

Harry leans down then, kissing him deeply. Louis sighs against his lips and Harry pulls him closer. Harry's hands slip down, grabbing his arse and Louis moans, shoving at Harry's jacket. They make quick work of their clothes, leaving a trail to the bed.

"Sit up against the pillows and wait for me," Harry instructs.

Louis arches an eyebrow. "Alright."

Harry smiles, giving him a quick kiss before going to his bag. Louis climbs on the bed, getting settled, and Harry joins him a moment later, dropping a condom and lube down beside him. Louis smirks as Harry straddles his lap and Harry kisses him deeply, grinding down. Louis moans against his lips as their cocks slide against each other.

"I want to ride you." Harry says.

Louis nods. "Yes. Fuck yes."

Harry grins, kissing him softly before snatching the supplies off the bed. He rolls the condom onto Louis's cock, carefully coating it with lube, and Louis shivers.

Harry keeps hold of him as he lifts himself up, easing back down slowly until Louis is buried inside him. Harry's face twists in pleasure and Louis pulls him in for a kiss, feeling Harry gasp against his lips.

Harry starts to rock his hips, carefully raising and lowering himself on Louis's cock. Louis slips a hand between them, wrapping it around Harry's length, stroking him steadily. His hips find a rhythm with Harry's and the bed starts to creak beneath them. Harry moans loudly and Louis breathes out a laugh.

"We're gonna wake up the whole inn," Louis warns.

"Sorry," Harry pants. "You feel so good."

"It's fine," Louis murmurs, tugging him down so he can kiss him deeply.

Harry's next moan is muffled against his lips. Harry rocks harder against him and Louis already feels himself shaking. He strokes Harry faster and when Harry clenches briefly around him, Louis feels the heat start to curl in his stomach. Harry changes his motions, twisting his hips in a way that increases the friction. Harry's trembling with the effort to keep himself going. When he slides down onto Louis just right, Harry clenches again as he comes. The tightness causes stars to burst behind Louis's eyes and he spills out inside Harry.

Harry eases off of his cock, causing them both to shiver, before collapsing against him. Louis clings to him, pressing kisses to his neck and shoulder as they slowly calm down.

"Louis?"

"Hmm?"

"When tour's over, I want to go out more." Harry lifts his head, gazing at him. "We'll go to the shops together. Eat out. Eventually, we can sneak a 'source' into the papers to confirm that we're 'very happy together', but for now, I just want to be seen with you."

Louis swallows hard. "I'd like that. Let them speculate. I don't care. Our friends and family know. That's all that matters."

"Thank you," Harry kisses him softly before pulling back. "My fame has always loomed over my relationships like a mistress and it's broken them up just as easily. For the first time in my life, I'm not worried about it. You've struggled but… you've never held it against me."

Louis brushes his fingers over his cheek. "You are not your fame and I will take the struggles that come with it because the alternative is losing you."

Harry sniffles softly, burying his face in Louis's neck. "I love you."

"I love you too," Louis murmurs.

Louis wakes in the morning to a tug on his finger. He groans softly, opening his eyes when he feels the tug again. His left arm is tucked under Harry, who's fast asleep, snoring softly against his neck. He thinks briefly that it must have been a weird half awake/half dream daze until he feels the tug again. He swallows hard.

He's learned by now how to maneuver his arm without waking Harry and he carefully eases it towards him. His heart is pounding in his chest as he finally gets it free.

The string is the brightest it's ever been and Louis's eyes widen when he realizes where it's leading him. He scrambles away from Harry, falling off the bed with a yelp. He curls his knees up to his chest, breathing heavily.

"Lou?" He hears from the bed. "Louis?" Harry appears at the side of the bed and his brow furrows. "What are you doing on the floor?"

Louis blinks up at him, swallowing hard. "Do you not see it?" he asks.

Harry tilts his head. "What?"

"Harry… we're connected." Louis says, scarcely able to process the words.

"Wait…" Harry looks down at his right hand, then up at Louis, eyes wide. "You can see it?"

Louis's brow furrows. "Hang on. You can't?"

Harry shakes his head. "I can. I just… you can too?"

"Wait," Louis frowns. "What? You can? Since when?"

Harry looks away sheepishly and a thousand memories clamor into Louis's brain all at once. His eyes widen slowly and he gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"We were Incomplete. You've known since X Factor. You connected then and you were coming to find me."

Harry nods and Louis feels like his whole world has come crashing down around him. Everything he'd thought, everything he'd believed about their relationship is a lie. Harry had never chosen to love him. Harry loves him because the string told him to. He swallows hard, fighting back tears.

"Get out," Louis says quietly.

Harry's brow furrows as he looks at Louis again. "What?"

"Get. Out." Louis says, anger bubbling beneath the surface.

He can see the alarm written across Harry's face, his eyes wide, mouth hanging open.

"Louis… I don't understand," he says. His voice catches slightly and for some reason, that's what finally sets Louis off.

"You've been lying to me for eight years, Harry! You don't fucking love me. I should have known. I should have fucking seen it. You always did believe so strongly in the string… until one day, you suddenly didn't want to talk about it anymore. I was stupid enough to believe it was because you'd chosen me over your soulmate."

"But… I did choose you," Harry wipes at his eyes. "I love you. I want to be with you."

"The string chose me," Louis sneers.

"Louis…" Harry's crying as he scrambles off the bed, kneeling in front of Louis. "Please don't do this. Please. I love you."

"Get the hell out!" Louis shouts.

Harry falls back, sobbing into his hands. Louis finally can't handle it anymore. He stands, grabbing his bag from the corner. He dresses quickly, snatching up the clothes they'd scattered the night before and throwing them haphazardly into his bag.

He stops at the door and looks down at Harry, still sitting on the floor. "If I left anything, mail it. I'll collect my stuff from your house while you're gone and leave the key behind. I never want to see you again."

"Louis…" Harry chokes out.

Louis doesn't stay to hear whatever he's planning to say. He opens the door, resisting the urge to slam it behind him if only to not draw attention to them. He feels the string trying to pull him back and clenches his fist, nails digging into his palm. He can feel himself tearing up and he fights it as hard as he can. He's sure there's no paparazzi here but there are more than enough people he's acquainted with somewhere in this building and that's worse.

He clears the lobby without running into anyone and realizes then that he has absolutely no plan. They'd driven up here in Harry's car.

He pulls his phone out, calling for an uber, groaning in frustration when it gives him a 10 minute wait time. He sinks down on a bench nearby, running his fingers through his hair. He realizes then that he must look a mess and he probably doesn't smell much better. They'd cleaned up after their romp the night before but he hasn't had a chance to shower.

Thinking about the day before makes his stomach twist into knots and he kind of feels like he wants to throw up. He breathes deeply, in and out, just trying to stay calm. He just needs to make it to his mum's in one piece.

The uber finally arrives and he stashes his bag in the boot before sliding in the back. His phone vibrates and he glances down, seeing Harry's name on the screen. He swallows hard, powering his phone off.

He buries his face in his hands, just trying to cling to some bit of sanity, but nothing makes sense to him anymore. Just a few short hours ago, he was wildly in love and now… now he has to figure out how to pick up the shattered remnants of his life and try to move on.

He drops his hands, staring at the string on his left hand, willing it to just disappear. Instead, it holds fast, trailing behind him in an attempt to coax him back to Harry. He shoves his hand under his thigh for the remainder of the trip and stares listlessly out the window.

When he reaches his mum's, Louis stares up at the house for a moment. He can already feel his energy starting to fade, the tenuous grasp on his composure slipping with the promise of safety. He shuffles up to the door, realizing then that he has no idea where his key is. He thinks about texting, but that would require turning his phone back on and seeing Harry's messages. He settles for ringing the bell instead.

"Louis?!" Jay exclaims when she answers the door. "What are you doing here?" Her brow furrows. "Where's Harry?"

At the sound of Harry's name, Louis finally breaks, sobs overtaking him. Jay pulls him inside quickly, shutting the door before wrapping him up in her arms.

"Talk to me, love. What's wrong?" She murmurs.

"We broke up." Louis chokes the words out, scarcely able to catch his breath.

"Oh, Louis," Jay says gently. "Do you want to sit down?"

Louis nods and Jay pulls away. She takes his bag from him, setting it by the door before guiding him to the couch. Louis sinks down heavily and as soon as Jay sits beside him, he falls against her. She cocoons him in her arms, cradling him close, and Louis lets himself cry.

He cries until he feels like he has no tears left and his head is about to explode from the pressure. He stays in his mum's arms, letting himself be soothed by her soft fingers brushing through his hair.

He wakes up alone on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. His skull is pounding and his eyelids feel heavy. He sits up slowly, groaning softly, and pulls the blanket tighter around himself. The living room is empty but there's some chat show playing quietly on the telly.

"Ah," Jay says from the doorway. "Thought I heard you. How are you feeling?"

Louis looks up at her. "Head hurts," he mumbles.

"Tea?" Jay asks.

Louis nods and Jay leaves the room. Louis settles back against the couch, burrowing into the blanket and mindlessly watching the show. At the moment, he's just grateful that he feels too sick to think.

Jay returns a few minutes later and Louis pulls his arms out of the blanket to take his cup from her. She sinks down beside him with her own. Louis takes a tentative sip, relieved at how easily it soothes his sore throat.

"Where is everyone?" he asks.

"Lottie and Fizzy took Phoebe and Daisy to their father's for the weekend. Dan took Doris and Ernest to the park a little bit ago."

Louis nods, looking down as he traces the rim of his cup.

"Do you want to talk?" Jay asks gently.

Louis swallows hard. The last thing he wants to do is talk. He barely even wants to think. Still, a small part of him feels like if he doesn't get it out, he might implode.

"Harry's my soulmate," he says quietly. "We were Incomplete. He connected the day we met. I connected this morning."

Jay's brow furrows. "I don't understand, darling. Isn't that a good thing?"

Louis feels himself tearing up then as he shakes his head. "He only loved me because the string told him to."

"Is that what he told you?"

Louis snorts, wiping at his eyes. "He didn't need to. He loved the idea of soulmates. Said the string picked out the perfect person for you to love."

Jay shrugs. "In most cases, he's right."

Louis finally looks up at her again. "What about you?"

Jay smiles gently. "I'm the exception, darling, not the rule."

"How long did it take for your string to disappear?" Louis asks quietly.

Jay breathes out a laugh. "Oh, it was gone as soon as your father walked out. I've never missed it."

Louis scowls at his hand. "Mine's still attached to Harry."

Jay's quiet for so long that Louis finally lifts his gaze to her. She searches his eyes for a moment before she speaks. "It's possible to love someone both because of and in spite of the string, you know. Harry may have loved you from the start, but he still had to take the time to get to know you and learn to love you for who you really are. That's where your father failed. Maybe we were perfect for each other but he never tried to find out. I think that's where most detached soulmates fail. Following the string is the easy part. Being a real soulmate to someone still takes work."

Louis sniffles, wiping at his eyes again. "It doesn't change the fact that he's lied to me since X Factor. He's had so many chances to tell me and he never did. He let me believe he'd chosen me."

"Maybe he was afraid of exactly this sort of reaction if he told you. It's no secret you're averse to soulmates, love."

Louis gazes at her for a moment. He doesn't want to admit she has a point. He glares down at his hand instead, annoyed at how bright and cheery the string looks.

"You don't have to decide now, you know," Jay says gently. "I understand that you're confused and you're hurting. It's okay. Sleep on it for a few days. You don't need to make a decision right this second."

Louis breathes in deeply. He could swear he feels the string tug at his finger but he ignores it, focusing instead on his tea. He watches a few wisps of steam rise up from it and sighs softly.

"Can we just put something on the telly?" He asks quietly. "I want to get my mind off everything for a bit."

"Of course, darling," Jay says gently.

She passes Louis the remote and he clicks mindlessly through the channels until he finds a random sitcom. He settles against Jay's side and relaxes as she brushes her fingers through his hair.

Louis stays until evening. Jay drops him off at the train station after dinner and he trudges inside, sinking down on a hard wooden bench. Against his best efforts, he finds himself wondering where Harry is. He looks down at the string on his hand, his gaze following it until it disappears out the door into the cool night air. He feels it tug, as if reading his thoughts, and he frowns, turning away from it to stare out the window instead.

When the train arrives, he finds a seat and stows his bag, realizing then that he's got nothing to keep himself entertained. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, staring at the blank screen. He thinks about powering it back on, wondering just how many messages are waiting for him from Harry and what they might say. He doesn't think he's ready to find that out just yet and he shoves his phone back in his pocket instead.

As the train pulls away, he feels the string tug again and he glares down at it. He finds himself wondering what life would be like without strings dictating everything. Would he have gotten up the courage to talk to the cute curly boy on X Factor? Or would there just be a great black hole where Harry was?

It shouldn't matter, he thinks. It shouldn't matter because Harry only loves him because of the string anyway. He's wasting time mourning the loss of something he never really had.

He tries to comfort himself with the thought that the hardest part is behind him now. He knows who his soulmate is. The wait is finally over. They're not meant to be and he's free to move on with his life, just as he always wanted.

He sighs, resting his head back against the seat. It's going to be a long ride.

It's late when Louis arrives back at his flat and he immediately regrets returning to London so quickly. The place is empty. It's just him. Alone. In a flat that doesn't even feel like home anymore.

He shuffles back to his room, kicking off his shoes and tossing his bag into a corner before collapsing on the bed. He pulls the covers tightly around himself and lets the emotional exhaustion overtake him.

In the morning, he wakes up and stares at the empty space beside him in the bed. Harry had never spent a night in his flat, yet it feels like it's missing something without him. His mind flashes back to the last time he'd woken up in his room. He remembers Harry's bright smile greeting him when he surprised him and how much they'd just enjoyed each other's company that morning.

Louis breathes in deeply, fighting back the sudden rush of emotions, and glances at the clock on his bedside table. He has a few hours before he needs to get ready for work.

He rolls onto his back, staring up at the ceiling, thinking maybe he should call in sick. He doesn't feel like moving. Or existing.

He scrubs his hands over his face, groaning in frustration, and decides work might be a welcome distraction after all.

\-----

Louis falls into a routine. He spends his nights working and his days lying in bed analyzing every detail of his and Harry's relationship, picking through it for every sign he missed that there was something wrong.

He has a show scheduled a few nights after he gets back that he thinks briefly about cancelling. He's never performed without the support of his friends and now seems like a really shitty time to start. He decides to follow through with it only when he realizes how much Harry has already taken from him. He can't let him take his music too.

He arrives at the pub right on time and his presence is greeted with excited whispers. There is no reserved table by the stage and the faces in front of him are all unrecognizable. As he stands at the mic, surrounded by screaming fans, he thinks he's never felt so alone.

It's a struggle to get through the set. He chokes up just remembering Harry's face gazing up at him from the table. His voice catches on lyrics that were never about Harry before but suddenly couldn't be about anyone else. It hits him in those moments that not one person in the room knows what he's going through. Every single one of them still thinks Harry is in love with him.

At the end of the show, fans swarm him as he leaves the stage. He's exhausted but he stays, taking photos and signing autographs for anyone who requests it. They're Harry's fans, but he supposes they've become his too and he's grateful they continue to pay to see him.

When he finally manages to make his escape, he doesn't have the energy to take the tube, so he calls for an uber. He slumps in the backseat and stares out the window, watching the city lights pass him by. He takes a deep breath and resolves then and there to focus more of his time and energy on his music and less of it on Harry.

\-----

Perrie and Niall return nearly two weeks later. Louis is on the couch with a beer, watching reruns on the telly when he hears their voices in the hallway. It's only then that he remembers they have no idea what happened. He hadn't wanted to bother them with it on their honeymoon.

The door opens and the pair clamor inside, laden down with all manner of bags.

It's Perrie who spots him first. "Louis!" She says with a broad grin. "What are you doing here?"

Louis doesn't really want to lie, but he doesn't want to kill their honeymoon vibe just yet so he shrugs.

"Felt like a change of scenery," he says.

"Got any more of those in the fridge?" Niall asks, motioning to his beer.

"Help yourself," Louis says.

Niall grins, leaving his bags in the entryway and disappearing into the kitchen. Perrie groans but seems to give up, setting her bags beside his before joining Louis on the couch.

"How was Italy?" Louis asks.

"Oh it was lovely," Perrie says. "The food was divine." She laughs softly. "I think Niall ate his weight in pasta every day."

"Twice my weight, actually," Niall says as he reappears, sinking down in the chair.

Louis laughs softly. "I'm glad you had fun."

"It was bloody brilliant," Niall says. "We're definitely going back. You should come next time. You'd love it. You can bring Harry. We'll make a couples retreat out of it. It'll be grand."

Louis swallows hard, gaze dropping. "Harry and I… broke up," he says quietly.

"Hang on… what?" Niall says.

"When?" Perrie asks.

"Day after the wedding," Louis says.

"Bloody hell," Niall says.

There's silence for a moment before Perrie finally speaks.

"What happened?" she asks.

Louis lifts his gaze then, breathing out a laugh. "You don't need my sob story. You just got back from your honeymoon! I don't want my breakup to be your buzzkill."

"Louis," Perrie says gently. "We're here if you need us. No matter what."

Louis waves his hand dismissively. "It's fine. Old news. I'll be fine."

Perrie and Niall exchange a look. He can tell neither of them are convinced so he speaks before they do.

"Come on," he says. "Tell me all about Italy."

They finally seem to give up on prying and instead take turns regaling him with stories from their trip. Louis tries to focus on them, he really does, but the more they talk, the more it slowly sinks in just how much everything has changed. They're married now, starting a whole new chapter of their lives together. He's happy for them, of course he is, but the loneliness creeps up on him despite himself. He doesn't want to miss Harry, but in that moment, he feels the void he left behind.

\-----

It takes him another week to finally get up the courage to collect his things from Harry's. The only reason he decides to do it now is because he knows he's running out of time before Harry returns.

When he arrives at the house, he pauses outside, breathing in deeply as he tries to prepare himself. The house is so familiar to him and he can't stand how deeply he feels the loss of it.

He finally opens the door and steps inside, making a beeline for the bedroom. He loses his nerve the moment he spies the bed. They hadn't bothered to make it up before they'd left for Doncaster and the sheets are still a tangled heap from their lovemaking. He blinks back tears, clinging to the doorframe to keep his balance. It feels like a lifetime ago that they'd been so happy.

A wave of memories hit him at once and he chokes on a sob, falling to his knees on the floor. He's made it through the last few weeks on autopilot. It was so easy to convince himself he could just get over Harry when he wasn't confronted so directly with everything that meant. Whether Louis wants to admit it or not this house was his home more than his flat had ever been. Harry had welcomed him into it readily and they'd built such a life together inside these walls.

Louis breathes in deeply, wiping at his eyes, trying to get himself under control. He needs to collect his things and get himself far, far away from here. He pulls himself up from the floor, tears still slipping down his cheeks. He sets the bag he brought with him on the dresser and opens his drawer, shoving his clothes into the bag haphazardly. He retrieves his few toiletries from the bathroom, then scans the rest of the room for any stray clothing.

As he zips his bag shut, it feels like he's closing off a chapter of his life along with it. This is it. The moment he walks out the door, there is no more Harry. He extracts his keys from his pocket with shaking fingers, unhooking Harry's key from his and laying it on the dresser. He fights back fresh tears, grabbing his bag, and practically fleeing from the room.

He doesn't dare look back as he leaves the house, knowing that if he does, he'll lose his will to walk away.

\-----

Louis spends the next two days in bed. He can feel Perrie and Niall's concerned gazes following him every time he goes to the kitchen for food. He keeps his excursions brief to avoid interactions. He doesn't really eat much anyway, just enough to avoid making himself sick.

On the third day, he has a show he refuses to miss no matter how shit he's feeling. He's just grateful that Perrie and Niall are back and have taken over their spot at the front.

The pub is packed, as usual, and Louis starts to wonder if Harry was right. Maybe he should be aiming for bigger venues. He swallows hard, pushing back thoughts of Harry, refusing to let himself get distracted.

His name is announced and he snaps out of his thoughts, jogging up the steps to the mic. He gives a small wave before going straight into his first song.

He realizes this time just how many people know the lyrics and it's overwhelming to say the least. He notices Perrie recording the room and his mind flashes back to the time when she secretly had Harry on the phone.

He feels the string tug at his finger and he tries to ignore it. The more he tries to focus on the song, the harder the string pulls. He stops between songs, breathing in deeply. His gaze follows the string until it disappears into the crowd and he feels it tug again. He glares down at it and goes into his next song, ignoring the way it continues to try and pull him off the stage.

He makes it through the rest of the show almost in a daze. It's probably his worst show yet, but the fans don't seem to care and he still finds himself taking dozens of photos and signing just as many autographs at the end.

When he finally makes it to the table, he can tell his friends know something is off by the concern etched in their brows.

"What's going on?" Perrie asks.

Louis swallows hard. "I have to find my soulmate," he says.

Niall sits forward, eyes wide. "Hang on. What? It's connected?!"

"It's Harry," Louis says before darting off into the crowd. He hears chairs scrape as his friends follow him.

Perrie grabs his arm as they make it outside. "Bloody fucking hell, Louis. What's going on?" she asks.

Louis breathes deeply, gazing between his friends. "We were Incomplete. He connected from the start. I didn't connect until the day after the wedding. The day after I told him I loved him." He feels himself tear up and he fights it back. "And I left him. I left him in that hotel room because I thought the string meant he didn't love me back. But… fuck. The string yanked and tugged and did everything but pull me off that stage. Harry needs me… and I need him."

"Oh, Louis," Perrie pulls him into her arms, hugging him tightly. She breathes out a laugh. "I don't even know what to say." She pulls back, hands still clutching his arms. "Are you happy?"

Louis shrugs. "I guess it depends on if he takes me back."

Niall speaks up then. "He's mad about you, Tommo. We've seen the way he looks at you and the way you are together. I was more surprised you weren't soulmates, to be honest. He'll take you back."

Louis wipes at his eyes. "I hope so."

"We know so," Perrie says. She kisses his cheek, finally releasing him. "Do you know where he is?"

Louis nods. "In LA. For his last shows. He's got one tonight and one tomorrow."

"You're going all the way to LA?!" Niall asks.

"I have to get to him. I can't explain it but I have to get to him now."

Niall laughs, wrapping an arm around Perrie. "You don't have to explain soulmates to us."

Perrie snorts, rolling her eyes fondly. "Says the man who was too busy watching footie to follow his string."

Niall kisses her cheek. "Yeah but I'd follow it to you anywhere in the world if I had to."

Louis feels his string tug again as he watches them and he longs to be with Harry. He wonders if Harry's string - their string - is trying just as hard to pull him towards Louis.

"Well," Perrie says. "Let's get you on a plane!"

Three flights and too many hours later, he finally lands at LAX. He checks the time on his phone. Based on the setlist from the night before, Harry should still be on stage. He orders an uber, groaning in frustration when the app informs him that it's seven minutes away. He checks the time again, doing the math in his head. He should still be able to make it as long as the uber is prompt.

He bounces on his toes, swinging his arms back and forth as he waits. He's so close to Harry and still so damn far from him. What he wants more than anything is to just have Harry in his arms again. He feels like half of him is missing.

The uber finally arrives and he climbs in the back, staring out the window. He drums his fingers impatiently on his knees, watching streets he doesn't know pass him by. He wills the car to go faster and when the string tugs at his finger, he can't help but smile at the fact that it shares his frustration.

The car feels like it's crawling and when he finally sees The Forum out the window, he realizes with a sinking feeling that people are already leaving. The car pulls into the lot and the string starts tugging incessantly at his finger. Louis practically flies out of his seat when the car stops. The string guides him around the back of the building to an entrance he can tell is VIP only. He pauses, ducking out of sight to extract an old badge from his bag and slip it around his neck.

He worries that it might not work, but when the string tugs impatiently, he decides now would be a good time to start trusting it. He walks up to security with as much confidence as he can muster. They barely spare his badge a passing glance, only checking his bag before waving him through. Louis waits until he's clear of them to take off running into the arena.

He slows only when he reaches the crowded tunnels where crew are weaving in and out, breaking everything down and hauling loads out to the trucks. He feels the string getting warmer as he rounds a corner and runs straight into someone.

He stumbles back, catching himself with a palm against the wall. He lifts his gaze and finds Harry staring at him, eyes wide.

"Louis?!" Harry breathes out, blinking as if trying to dispel an apparition. "What are you doing here?!"

Louis swallows hard. "I followed the string," he says, holding up his left hand. "That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it?"

Harry opens his mouth as if to respond but his eyes tear up and he looks away, swallowing hard. He scans the crowded hallway, wiping at his eyes.

"I can't do this here," he says quietly, finally looking at Louis again. "Will you come back to my place?"

Louis nods. "Yeah. Of course."

Harry nods, seeming to assess him for a moment before moving past him down the hallway, leaving Louis no choice but to follow. Harry leads him out to an idling car and slides in the backseat. Louis climbs in after and gets settled. He looks over at Harry but Harry's already staring out the window so Louis follows suit as the car pulls off.

The ride back is filled with awkward tension. Louis hadn't worried until this moment that Harry might not take him back. He feels the string tug and glances at Harry but Harry gives no indication that it's done the same to him. Louis drops his gaze to the string, following it across the middle seat until it ends in a perfect knot around Harry's finger. Louis feels himself choking up, thinking about the number of times he's held that hand and never known the significance while Harry always has. He breathes shakily, pushing back the sudden wave of tears. He wipes at his eyes and turns his gaze out the window again. All he can do is hope that he can fix this.

When they arrive at Harry's, Harry slides out first and Louis follows. His LA house is almost double the size of his London home and Louis feels a bit overwhelmed just looking at it. The fact that Harry even has two houses is overwhelming.

Harry unlocks the door, letting them in, and Louis takes a moment to look around him. It's more modern and elegant than his London home. Everything about it is big and open instead of warm and cozy. He wonders if he'll ever learn to love this place… or if Harry will ever allow him to.

"You can put your bag anywhere," Harry says.

Louis's gaze snaps to him and for a moment, they just look at each other. Louis takes in the careful set of Harry's expression. He's so good at closing himself off when he needs to and Louis finds it unnerving. He finally looks away, setting his bag against the wall just inside the front hallway.

Harry turns then and Louis assumes he's supposed to follow as Harry heads into the sitting room. He takes a seat on the couch and Louis thinks over his options, sizing up the chairs in the room and their distance from Harry before he finally just sits down beside him. He's comforted by the fact that Harry isn't squished into the corner and he's turned just the slightest to face Louis.

Louis's gaze drops to Harry's right hand where the string still rests, bright and cheery. It's a weird contrast to their moods now but he finds its presence grounding. Harry's his soulmate and for the first time, that thought comforts him.

He finally brings his gaze back up to Harry's. Harry is eyeing him warily now and Louis breathes in deeply, knowing he needs to speak first.

"I know that whatever I say can't make up for the last month. But you deserve to know why I'm here." Louis breathes deeply, composing himself before he continues. "When I went to your place to pack up my things, I saw the bed still a mess. I remembered what it felt like that morning just waiting for you to get home. I never wanted to see someone more in my whole life. When you walked in, it was like everything fell into place. The world felt right again. Finding out we're connected doesn't change the way I felt. It made me realize that I shouldn't have doubted that you love me. I'm sorry I fucked it all up. I love you so much. I'm glad it's you on the other end of the string."

Harry breathes shakily. He blinks and Louis can tell his eyes are wet. "I've had to watch you leave so many times. This was the first time it ever felt permanent. I kept waiting for the string to disappear."

Louis swallows hard. "God… Haz… I'm so sorry. I never should have turned my back on you. I should have let you explain."

Harry wipes at his eyes, sniffling softly. "I'm sorry I never told you. I never meant to lie to you. I just… I'd spent so many years waiting for you only to find out you had no idea who I was. I was afraid of what you'd think. Part of me thought you'd never connect, that the string was giving you a choice because it's what you needed. So, I waited for you to choose me. I waited for you to love me."

Louis feels himself tearing up. "I choose you. I will always choose you. It's just a bit of string. This is still my choice. I will commit to making a life with you, Harry. The string doesn't tell me to love you. You made me fall in love with you. You're open and affectionate and ridiculous. I find myself always wanting to be near you. You're my favorite person."

He's barely finished speaking when his arms are suddenly full of Harry. He hears him sobbing into his shoulder and he cries with him, hugging him so tightly it hurts.

"I love you so much," Harry gasps out.

"I love you too," Louis says. "I'm sorry you've had to deal with this on your own for so many years."

Harry lifts his head then, kissing him. It's messy and wet and they keep missing each other's mouths, but Louis doesn't care. He kisses all over Harry's face, just amazed that Harry is letting him. He can scarcely believe that Harry is real and in his arms again.

When they're both breathless, Louis rests his forehead against Harry's, panting softly as he tries to get himself under control.

Harry swallows hard. "Take me to bed."

"God, yes," Louis says.

Harry kisses him again before standing. Louis follows and Harry holds his right hand out to him. Louis gazes down at the red string trailing between them as he slides their fingers together. A warmth runs through him as the ends of the string meet. He lifts Harry's hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the string on his finger. He feels Harry watching him as he lowers their joined hands and he meets his gaze.

"I like that I can see it," Louis says quietly. "I like knowing you'll always be on the other end of it, even when you're off on tour and I'm in London."

Harry chews on his lip. "It helps," he admits. "It felt nice whenever I followed it home to you."

Louis lifts up, kissing him gently. "I love you."

Harry smiles softly. "I love you too." He gives Louis another quick kiss before pulling away.

Louis grins and Harry squeezes his hand, guiding him towards the stairs. Louis follows him up to the bedroom. Harry shuts the door, flicking on the light before turning to him.

Louis gazes at him for a moment before stepping forward to kiss him deeply. Harry moans softly, letting go of his hand to wrap his arms around him and drag him closer. Louis groans, pressing Harry against the wall. He gives a hard grind of his hips and hears Harry's breath catch. Harry's hands slip down, grabbing Louis's arse. Louis takes it as encouragement and rolls his hips again. He breaks the kiss, trailing his lips down Harry's jaw. He sucks hard on Harry's neck and the whimper Harry rewards him with is obscene.

He moves his lips back up to kiss Harry again. Harry starts rocking his hips in a steady rhythm and Louis matches his pace as a moan escapes him. He feels himself getting hard and his breath shakes. He can tell Harry is in a similar state and their kisses slow until they're panting against each other's lips. When one particular thrust makes a shudder run through Harry's entire body, he finally stills.

"Fuck, I need you inside me," Harry says.

Louis moans and Harry kisses him again, lifting him off the ground. He carries Louis to the bed, laying him carefully on it before climbing over him. Louis reaches up to cup his cheek and Harry swoops down, kissing him hard. Louis moans, pulling Harry flush against him. He starts tugging up on Harry's shirt and Harry wiggles out of it. They quickly shed the rest of their clothes, tossing them every which way.

Harry pulls back to snatch the supplies from the drawer, tossing them on the bed. Louis sits up and scoots over so Harry can lie back before he settles between his legs. He snatches the condom, rolling it on before coating his cock with lube. Harry watches his every move, pupils blown wide, a bright blush coloring his cheeks.

Louis moves forward, positioning himself carefully before pushing into Harry. Harry moans, gripping the sheets as Louis buries himself inside him. Harry reaches for him with his right hand and Louis takes it, allowing himself to be pulled down. He pins Harry's hand to the bed, clinging to it as he starts moving his hips, thrusting steadily inside him. Harry's head falls back and Louis presses kisses over his neck. His free hand slips down between them, taking hold of Harry's cock and stroking it in time with his thrusts. Harry whines, arching into him. His hips begin to match Louis's pace as the bed rattles against the wall and the mattress creaks beneath them.

Louis moves faster and Harry keeps up. He sucks a new mark into Harry's neck and feels Harry's body clench around his cock. His vision blurs and he drops his face against Harry's neck. Harry wraps his legs around him, changing the angle. When his body tightens again, Louis comes with a loud moan. Harry follows, hand clutching Louis's tightly.

Louis collapses, cock slipping from inside Harry. He's shaking and he can feel Harry trembling beneath him. He presses a soft kiss to Harry's neck and hears his sharp inhale.

Louis feels himself start to relax and he can tell Harry is too. Louis shuffles down so he can rest his head on Harry's chest. He's not usually the little spoon, but the gentle rise and fall of Harry's chest and the sound of his heartbeat are comforting. He feels Harry stroke his fingers through his hair and he presses a kiss to his chest.

"Haz?"

"Mm?"

"When did you know you loved me?"

Harry's quiet for a moment and Louis lifts his head up so he can see his face. Harry's brow is knit in thought and it takes him a moment to speak.

"A part of me always loved you. I loved you before I even knew you because I dreamed of meeting you. After though…" he swallows hard. "I didn't let myself fall in love with you until my birthday. Everything you did for me… I couldn't hold it back anymore. I was so fucking in love with you."

"Christ," Louis says quietly. "No wonder you were so emotional."

Harry breathes out a laugh. "You were determined to spoil me every second of the day. No one had ever done anything like that for me before. It felt safe to love you when you cared so much about me."

Louis kisses him softly. "I promise to make every birthday just as grand."

Harry grins. "I'll do the same for you," he promises, giving him another kiss. "When did you know you loved me?"

Louis bites his lip. "The night of your first London show. I suspected a bit before then but that was the night I really put words to everything I felt. There were thousands of people trying to get your attention and I knew I was the one who had it. There was such a huge difference between superstar Harry and my Harry and I just… I knew the extent of what you were giving me in that moment."

Harry sniffles softly. "I like being your Harry. I like that I can just be myself with you. You didn't even know about the string and you accepted me. I think… I think, in a way, I needed us to be Incomplete too. I… uhm… I tried dating other people in the few years we didn't see each other. Before I knew we were Incomplete, I thought you were just disappointed with me. None of those relationships felt right. Not just because they weren't you but because it felt like there were so many obstacles. My fame. Touring. Never quite knowing if they wanted the real me or the idea of me. By the time we got together, I knew all the warning signs and I found none of them. You just… slipped into my life." He breathes out a laugh, wiping at his eyes. "You basically lived with me."

Louis smirks slightly. "I did, didn't I?"

Harry nods. "I want to make it official. Move in with me. We can redecorate, add a touch of you to both houses, make them ours."

Louis's eyes widen slightly and he feels himself tearing up. "Fuck, Haz, of course I'll move in with you. I meant it when I said I want to make a life with you." He swallows hard. "Mum told me following the string is the easy part and being a real soulmate takes work. I want to be your soulmate, whatever that means for us."

Harry sniffles softly. "I want to be your soulmate too."

Louis kisses him deeply, feeling Harry's breath shake against his lips. Whatever the future holds for them, Louis is finally ready to face it head on.

\-----

**Two Years Later**

Louis sinks down on the edge of the stage, legs dangling over the side. He gazes out at the massive arena and breathes in deeply. It feels like a lifetime ago that he was sat on a stage in London with Harry, contemplating the songs that filled those walls. Now, he's about to embark on his first world tour as Harry's opener and it still doesn't seem real.

He hears footsteps and turns, grinning as Harry approaches.

"Hey," Louis says.

"Hey," Harry says, sinking down beside him. "Thought I'd find you out here."

"I get now why you do this," Louis says. "It's like the calm before the storm."

Harry breathes out a laugh. "That it is."

Louis smiles softly and reaches out, taking his hand. He gazes down at the wedding bands nestled comfortably on their fingers, the red string shining happily beside them. He thinks about all the moments in their life together that brought them to this one and looks up at Harry again.

"Thank you," he says quietly. "For all of this. I wouldn't be here without you."

Harry smiles softly, squeezing his hand. "You've earned it. I'm so proud to have you on tour with me. You're going to be amazing."

Louis swallows hard. "I love you."

"I love you too," Harry says.

Louis pulls him close, burying his face in his neck. In just a couple hours, this arena will be full to the bursting with thousands of fans. Louis is terrified and overwhelmed and ecstatic all at once. He's also glad that no matter what happens, Harry will be there every step of the way, connected to him by a beautiful bright red string.


End file.
